Mallorca played host to Almería in the seventh round of the Segunda División and came away empty-handed, 0-1. The away visitors took the lead through Miguel De La Fuente in the thirty-fifth minute and held on despite a storm of pressure from the hosts.
And here's the thing, it wasn't about the scoreline so much as how the game unfolded. Mallorca had possession, they had chances, they had shots — five on target, eight off — yet the ball stayed on the wrong side of the net. Almería, meanwhile, had three shots on target and scored one. To be fair, the away side didn't need much.
De La Fuente's goal came after a period of sustained pressure. Mallorca threw everything forward, 112 attacks, 22 crosses, yet something was missing. The away keeper made five saves, but the decisive moment fell to the man who finished the move. By then the visitors had already set up to defend deep and punish on the break.
Match statistics
- Mallorca: 54% possession, 2.06 expected goals, 5 shots on target
- Almería: 46% possession, 2.13 expected goals, 3 shots on target
The numbers told a story of wasted opportunity. Mallorca created more but found less accuracy. Almería's xG was higher despite fewer attacks, which says something about efficiency when you only have one shot count to work with.
There were plenty of cautions — ten yellow cards between them, six for the hosts, three for the visitors, plus one more that came after the whistle. The game grew tighter as the half progressed, with substitutions coming in bunches around the hour mark. Soumahoro and Calatayud went off together in the seventy-fourth minute, a sign that Mallorca were looking for fresh legs.
The result leaves Almería sitting third with fifteen points from seven games, while Mallorca drop to sixth on thirteen. Both sides have lost twice and won five, but the gap matters when you're fighting for promotion. The away end never stopped, even if the scoreboard barely moved.
