Four games into the season and still without a win, most Real Mallorca supporters were expecting coach Arrasate to field an attacking side to kickstart their campaign. But the disappointment was palpable when we heard he was playing five at the back. That decision meant Mallorca spent the entire first half camped in their own half. Atlético could easily have been three goals up at the break, such was their dominance.

The only bright moment for Mallorca came when goalkeeper Leo Román saved a penalty from former Manchester City player Julián Álvarez. Things improved slightly towards the end of the half when Kumbulla was forced off with what looked like a hamstring injury. That change pushed Arrasate into switching to a 4-3-3, with Pablo Torre moving into midfield.

The second half was fairly even until Atlético substitute Sørloth was sent off for a dangerous tackle on Raíllo, just 10 minutes after coming on. Rather than settling for a point, Atlético still took the lead when the forgotten Englishman Conor Gallagher pounced on a parry from Leo Román to put them ahead.

Finally, Arrasate loosened the reins and brought on Prats and Virgili. It was Virgili who set up Mallorca’s equaliser with a superb cross from the wing that was met by a bullet header from Muriqi, who looks back to his best as he now sits second in La Liga’s scoring charts. It begs the question: why doesn’t Arrasate start with two wingers to provide those crosses?

The coach is under pressure for the first time since arriving in July 2024. They face Real Sociedad away tonight at 20:30 and Alavés at home this coming Saturday at 18:30. If Mallorca are still winless after those two games, the club may well start to look elsewhere.

If you would like tickets for the game on Saturday, please contact us for details on 0034 670 704 311.

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