Packed Camp Nou couldn't care less for the Royals' coronation as long Xavi's slot is thriving
Reading Time: 2min | Mon. 02.05.22. | 00:02
There were no signs of sorrow in the Catalan capital, with the home team downing Mallorca 2-1
That Barca's spectacular 4-0 triumph at the Santiago Bernabeu a few months ago harmed Xavi a bit - it fooled the Blaugrana's worldwide fanbase they're capable of immediate resurrection and winning the La Liga title.
And the fact is it was impossible straight from the beginning, bearing in mind the accumulated point deficit at that moment and - more important - the fact the young coach had only started building a foundation for future success.
That's why some (un)expected losses came along the way, causing a whole different set of emotions and pessimistic conclusions. And the reality is somewhere in the middle - Barcelona are much better than under Koeman's reign, but there's still a long way to go. A small stop on that road was a more than a decent team of RCD Mallorca. The islanders served as a fine test of Barca's current strength, suffering a deserved 2-1 defeat in front of a packed Camp Nou.
Yes, despite this being the very round in which Real Madrid were crowned as the new La Liga champions, Barca's fans rushed to their temple to show that the charade against Eintracht Frankfurt in the UEL was just a sole incident and not a habit they'll hold on to when it comes to supporting of their club.
And it means a lot to Xavi and his boys. That was obvious as Depay and Busquets added their names to the scoresheet while Raillo banged in Mallorca's only goal.
These last few games will serve as a good sign of the path the Blaugrana has taken, and when the new season kicks off, it will be anything but a one-sided campaign in prospect.
LA LIGA
Friday
Sevilla - Cadiz 1-1 (1-0)
/En Nesyri 7 - Perez 66/
Saturday
Alaves - Villareal 2-1 (2-0)
/Laguardia 4, Escalante 31 - Chukwueze 47/
Real Madrid - Espanyol 4-0 (2-0)
/Rodrygo 33, 42, Isco 55, Benzema 81/
Valencia - Levante 1-1 (1-0)
/Duro 27 - Duarte 81/
Athletic Bilbao - Atletico Madrid 2-0 (1-0)
/Hermoso 8 og, Williams 56 pen/
Sunday
Elche - Osasuna 1-1 (0-0)
/Milla 84 - Budimir 67 pen/
Granada - Celta 1-1 (0-0)
/Machis 90+2 - Aspas 72/
Rayo Vallecano - Sociedad 1-1 (0-1)
/Falcao 77 - Sorloth 33/
Barcelona - Mallorca 2-1 (1-0)
/Depay 25, Busquets 54 - Raillo 79/
Monday
22.00: (2.81) Getafe (2.90) Betis (2.90)
***odds are subject to change
