Barcelona started their LaLiga title defence with a comfortable 3-0 win at Mallorca, which saw their hosts have two players sent off in the first half.
Hansi Flick’s men picked up where they left off last season as they took the lead in the seventh minute, Raphinha heading in at the far post from a superb Lamine Yamal cross.
Controversy followed as Ferran Torres doubled the Barcelona lead, with Mallorca incensed as they believed play should have been stopped with defender Antonio Railo stricken on the turf.
Manu Morlanes was booked for his protests in the aftermath and then received a second yellow for a foul on Yamal. Mallorca were then incredibly reduced to nine men after forward Vedat Muriqi saw red for a high boot on Joan Garcia.
Marcus Rashford was brought on for his debut midway through the second half at Son Moix having been registered with LaLiga in the nick of time. However, he could not get on the scoresheet as a spirited Mallorca side kept the scoreline respectable, though Yamal added late gloss with a typically exquisite strike.
Mallorca v Barcelona
Yamal and Raphinha wasted little time in linking up to break the deadlock when the latter turned home an excellent in-swinging delivery from the right.
That was a routine goal for Barca, but there was little routine about the events surrounding their second, with Raillo hitting the deck after blocking a shot and Torres lashing home with Mallorca expecting the referee to bring proceedings to a halt.
José María Sánchez Martínez had the whistle to his lips but, after a delay, the goal was given, much to the fury of Mallorca and especially Morlanes, who was then given his marching orders following a rash foul on Yamal.
Things then went from bad to worse for Mallorca as Muriqi was dismissed following a VAR review with six minutes left in the first half.
That decision effectively put the game to bed, but Yamal twice fired wide before the interval as he sought to rub salt in the Mallorca wounds.
Barcelona were continually frustrated in their efforts to make the scoreline more emphatic in the second half.
Dani Olmo was denied by a fine save by Leo Roman and also hit the post in his quest to make an impact off the bench, while the outstanding Raphinha narrowly missed the target with a pair of attempts to double his tally.
Roman thwarted Pedri from long range and kept out two goalscoring chances for Yamal, yet Barca’s teenage sensation finally got his goal with the final kick of the game, cutting in from the right and bending home a sublime left-foot finish to round off a bizarre contest with a wonderful flourish.
