BARCELONA: Robert Lewandowski and Lamine Yamal scored as Barcelona eased to a comfortable 3-0 win over Mallorca on Saturday to move four points clear at the top of La Liga.
The champions extended the gap to Real Madrid in second before Alvaro Arbeloa’s side visits Valencia on Sunday, with Marc Bernal also on target late on at the partially reopened Camp Nou stadium.
“We knew Mallorca are a hard team to score against and that’s how it was,” Barca midfielder Marc Casado told Movistar.
“In the second half they were more tired and we were able to find the gaps.”
Mallorca target man Vedat Muriqi came close early on as he slid in at the back post but hit the side netting, while Jan Virgili’s shot was saved by Joan Garcia.
Marcus Rashford added some urgency into Barca’s game after a slow start, curling inches wide of the far post after cutting in from the left.
A blocked shot from the England international led to the opener, with Dani Olmo knocking the rebound to Lewandowski to finish from close range on 29 minutes.
Rashford’s dangerous free-kick was tipped onto the bar by Mallorca stopper Leo Roman, and Yamal missed from point blank range as Jules Kounde sent the rebound into his path.
The 18-year-old made amends in the second half with a superb shot from outside the area which left Roman with no chance.
It was his fourth goal in four games, with Yamal in his best form of the season.
Casado struck the crossbar with a deflected effort as Barca could have opened up a wider lead.
At the other end, Garcia earned his clean sheet with a good save to thwart Antonio Sanchez, before Bernal rounded off Barca’s victory.
The 18-year-old midfielder broke in behind the Mallorca defense, showed composure to open up a shooting angle and finished with the aid of a deflection, his first goal for the club.
Bernal broke into the first team at the start of last season but a severe knee injury in August 2024 kept him out for around a year.
“It’s a great joy for him, when a player has such a bad injury we all feel it, we suffered with him... I’m very happy for him,” said Casado.
Earlier on Saturday, La Liga postponed Rayo Vallecano’s home match against Real Oviedo because of the condition of the pitch at the Madrid’s side’s Vallecas stadium.
They later moved Sevilla’s home game against Girona, scheduled for a 1730 GMT slot on Saturday, to Sunday because of adverse weather conditions.