RCD Mallorca - Athletic Club

Athletic remains undefeated in the league championship. It goes with the English average: victory at home and draw away. They are eight points awaiting the derby against Deportivo Alavés. Tonight’s match was very hard and strange. Abdón Prats didn’t score a penalty ten minutes from the end and Aduriz, infallible in luck for a long time, wasted another at the injury time.

It wasn’t a good football night of Garitano’s squad. The best chance of the first half came in a header by Raul García in a corner kick taken by Unai Lopez and finally stopped by Reina. Within the overall thickness of the game, Athletic was again closer to the goal than its opponent with a left-handed shot by Muniain and another good action of the Navarrese who have been blocked to Córdoba when he approached the goalmouth. The vermilions only pressured at the end, with a free kick shot from Salva Sevilla that Simon sent to corner and with Baba’s failed header from the kick of the same one.

Mallorca came out with another impetus after the half time and enjoyed a very clear option in the boots of Lago Junior after a great heel of Febas. Athletic reacted to the danger and Raul Garcia was about to score after a great center by Yeray. Already with the acclaimed Aduriz on the turf, Reina took the ball off as he could on the goal line. Raúl himself headed a high ball into the small area. However, Athletic got a big scare when Salva Sevilla released a left-footed shot at the post that, which fortunately, fell back into Simón’s hands.

Everything could have been worse when Yuri committed a penalty on the dynamic Kubo. Fortunately, Abdón Prat sent the ball out of the play. The lions finished up, with a great shot by Beñat that Reina cleared to corner and a ball that Larrazabal sent to the crossbar.

When no one expected it, González Fuertes came to see a final action and decreed a penalty by Baba’s hand. Aduriz, an idol in Majorca and Bilbao, missed the goal opportunity after it was saved by Reina. He was petrified. As much or more than the local supporters when they disallowed a header in the last play by Alex Alegria.

TECHNICAL  INFORMATION
RCD Mallorca: Reina; Sastre, Valjent, Raíllo, Baba Rahman; Dani Rodríguez, Baba, Salva Sevilla, Lago Junior; Febas; and Budimir.
Changes: Kubo by Dani Rodríguez (60′), Abdón Prats by Budimir (75′) and Alex Alegría by Febas (83′).

Athletic Club: Unai Simón; Capa, Yeray, Iñigo Martínez, Yuri; Dani García, Unai López; Muniain, Raúl García, Córdoba; and Williams.
SUBS: Beñat by Unai López (51′), Aduriz by Córdoba (57′) and Larrazabal by Williams (84′).

Referee: González Fuertes, Asturian. He admonished Dani Rodríguez (1′), Dani García (29′), Iñigo Martínez (43′), Unai López (46′), Baba Rahman (65′), Abdón Prats (75′).

Stadium: Son Moix. A minute’s silence was observed after the death of Guillem Febrer, former Majorca goalkeeper in the sixties. Aritz Aduriz received a plaque from the Mallorcan clubs and a Mallorca shirt from the Balearic club before the match.