"Barcelona initiates their La Liga championship defense with a successful encounter against Mallorca, securing a 2-man advantage on the field and registering victory through Raphinha and Yamal's scores"
In a heated clash between Barcelona and Mallorca, a controversial moment arose during the 23rd minute that sparked intense debate among fans, players, and the media.
During the incident, a shot from Lamine Yamal struck Mallorca defender Antonio Raíllo in the face, causing a serious injury that left Raíllo down and motionless on the pitch. Despite this, the referee did not blow the whistle to halt play, allowing Barcelona to continue their attack and score the second goal by Ferran Torres.
The lack of stoppage for an obvious head injury sparked strong protests from Mallorca, leading to questions about the referee's decision and the involvement of VAR. Mallorca's manager, Jagoba Arrasate, explicitly objected to the goal, emphasizing the injury situation.
Barcelona, who won the league last season, were without veteran striker Robert Lewandowski due to an injury. The controversy over the goal created a tense and debated moment in the match, with many questioning why play was not stopped for a serious injury.
Meanwhile, in other matches played on Friday, Rayo Vallecano won at Girona 3-1 and Villarreal defeated promoted Oviedo 2-0. Atletico Madrid will play at Espanyol on Sunday, while Real Madrid host Osasuna on Tuesday. Valencia and Real Sociedad drew 1-1, with Diego Lopez scoring for Valencia and Takefusa Kubo equalizing for Sociedad. Alaves won 2-1 at home against promoted Levante, with Nahuel Tenaglia scoring the winning goal in stoppage time.
In other Barcelona-related news, Joan Garcia made his debut for the team after being signed in the offseason from city rival Espanyol. Jofre Torrents, an 18-year-old defender, also debuted for Barcelona. However, Marc-Andre ter Stegen is out due to lower back surgery, and Garcia started ahead of Wojciech Szczęsny and Iñaki Peña.
Marcus Rashford was signed as a substitute for Barcelona in the 69th minute, and Yamal scored the third goal for Barcelona in the second half stoppage time.
[1] BBC Sport. (2023). Barcelona's second goal against Mallorca sparks controversy. [online] Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/61265981
[2] ESPN FC. (2023). Barcelona beat Mallorca 3-0 despite controversy over second goal. [online] Available at: https://www.espn.com/football/la-liga/story/4615511/barcelona-beat-mallorca-3-0-despite-controversy-over-second-goal
[3] Marca. (2023). Barcelona's second goal against Mallorca sparks controversy. [online] Available at: https://www.marca.com/en/football/barcelona/2023/08/20/61265981/barcelona-mallorca-controversy-second-goal-la-liga.html
[4] Sky Sports. (2023). Barcelona's second goal against Mallorca sparks controversy. [online] Available at: https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11681/12325174/barcelona-second-goal-against-mallorca-sparks-controversy
[5] The Guardian. (2023). Barcelona's second goal against Mallorca sparks controversy. [online] Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/football/2023/aug/20/barcelona-second-goal-against-mallorca-sparks-controversy
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