Mallorca left the island for the first time under the wing of Javier Aguirre as they travelled to Madrid to take on Getafe.
In a match crucial for the fate of both sides in terms of relegation, this match had many of the hallmarks that belong to the so-called six pointer. One of those being a tightness and a edge that expressed itself in terms of fouls. With little happening in front of goal in the first half, the highlight was referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz brandishing four yellow cards in succession following a scrum of shoving and accusing which involved at least 20 of the players on the pitch.
The second half picked up where the first left off, despite Quique Sanchez Flores’ efforts to change that by bringing on Borja Mayoral and Gonzalo Villar.
The turning point in the match came on the hour mark. Enes Unal hammered a shot towards goal which Franco Russo blocking it. On a VAR review it was determined that despite his arms being tucked in, it was sufficient for a penalty. That flurry of yellows in the first half came back to haunt Mallorca – Russo was shown a second as part of the punishment.
Mallorca goalkeeper Sergio Rico pulled off a sensational double-save from first Unal and then Carles Alena to keep it level. The islanders swarmed the goalkeeper as he roared, gladiatorial.
Yet it was the man advantage which hurt them more than anything else. Getafe had the bit between their teeth and Flores’ substitutes were the ones to extract it, releasing the tension at the Coliseum Alfonso Perez. Villar’s reverse ball found Mayoral at full speed, who whipped it into the top corner.
That seemed to sentence matters as Mallorca struggled to make their way forward and Getafe sealed gaps as soon as they appeared. An Oscar Rodriguez free-kick whipped off the bar in the closest either side came after that.
Getafe can breathe sleep easily with a six point cushion to their opponents. Rico told the TV crew after the match that Mallorca were in a run where everything that can go against them is and it’s hard to disagree. Javier Aguirre will to change their luck as well as their style of play in the next eight games.
