Barcelona opened their La Liga title defence with a 3–0 victory at Mallorca, though the result came wrapped in controversy after the hosts were reduced to nine men.
Raphinha set the tone midway through the first half, heading home from a superb Lamine Yamal cross. Ferran Torres then added a second, but only after Mallorca captain Antonio Raillo had been left prone on the turf with a head injury.
The referee allowed play to continue, and Torres’ emphatic strike doubled the advantage amid furious protests from the home side.
Tensions boiled over soon after, with Manu Morlanes dismissed for a second booking following dissent and a foul on Yamal.
The hosts’ frustration grew when Vedat Muriqi saw a yellow card upgraded to red after a VAR check on a high boot that caught debutant goalkeeper Joan Garcia.
Despite their numerical advantage, Barcelona needed until stoppage time to find a third, as Yamal capped his sparkling display with a thumping finish.
The night also marked Marcus Rashford’s competitive debut in blaugrana colours. Coming on in the 69th minute, he became the first Englishman to play for Barça’s first team since Gary Lineker in 1989.
The striker, on loan from Manchester United, did not threaten goal but symbolised a new chapter for the champions, who only registered Rashford and Garcia with La Liga hours before kickoff due to financial restrictions.
