Mallorca hold Barca, Sevilla smash Almeria at their Son Moix Stadium

MADRID: Mallorca held La Liga leaders FC Barcelona to a  2-2 draw at their Son Moix Stadium on Tues-day night in a match filled with excitement.

Mallorca took an early lead in the seventh minute when Vedat Muriqi capitalised on a poor pass from Marc-Andre ter Stegen, netting the ball from close range. Raphinha equalised for Barcelona in the 40th minute with a brilliant low shot from outside the penalty area. Barcelona nearly added a second, but defensive lapses allowed Abdon Prats to find the net following a long pass from the back.

Barcelona found it challenging to create opportunities, prompting Xavi Hernandez to introduce Robert Lewan-dowski, Lamine Yamal, and Fermin Lopez. Joao Felix’s shot hit the post, and while Yamal believed he had earned a penalty, the referee overturned the decision after consulting VAR. Fermin Lopez then equalized in the 75th mi-nute after a coordinated play with Yamal and Lewandowski.

Both teams had opportunities in the closing minutes, but Mallorca came closest to victory when Cyle Larin missed a clear shot in the 96th minute.

In another match, Sevilla regained their form against bottom-placed Almeria. Youssef En-Nesyri and Dodi Lukebakio gave Sevilla a 2-0 lead within the first seven minutes, with Suso adding a third in the 37th minute. Erik Lamela extended the lead to 4-0 in the 50th minute. Although Luis Suarez managed to score for Almeria from the penalty spot, youngster Kike Salas sealed Sevilla’s dominant performance with a fifth goal during injury time.

Sevilla’s coach, Jose Luis Mendilibar, can now breathe easier after the win. However, the pressure mounts on Almeria’s coach, Vicente Moreno, as his team remains winless with only two points from their first seven matches. IANS

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