Real Mallorca 3-4 Almería (agg 6-8)
Real Mallorca crashed out of the Copa del Rey after an embarrasing 4-3 home defeat to Almería. Two goals each from Piatti and Juanma Ortiz gave Almería a 4-0 half-time lead assuring them of a place in the quarter-finals. Mallorca managed to pull back three goals with their second half performance, but it was much too late and the damage had already been done.
Naming a weakened side in the ‘Rotations Cup’, Laudrup again went with German Lux in goal whilst Ratinho, Martí Crespí and Rubén were all given run outs. A rare chance was also given to outcast striker Fernando Cavenaghi, who partnered Víctor up front.
Laudrup was ‘confident of victory’ heading into this game with his side needing to overturn a 4-3 first leg deficit. But the game definitely didn’t start in the manner it needed to for this to happen as every member of the five man defence made a mistake.
With barely 30 seconds on the clock, Vargas easily got around left back Ayoze to whip a cross in. Both Martí Crespí and Rubén made very poor attempts to deal with Ulloa which left Piatti free to run in and easily win a header over the gormless Ratinho as Lux watched the ball fall into his right hand corner of the goal.
And the home side were practically out of the competition moments later as a ball over the top of the defence caught Ratinho well out of position. Martí Crespí couldn’t catch Ulloa who raced away to put a cross in, beating Rubén and Ayoze did not have the pace to match a Juanma Ortíz run who slid in to make it 2-0 after just 3 minutes, and 6-3 on aggregate.
It was a frustrating afternoon for Los Bermellones who saw an effort from Emilio Nsue agonisingly hit the post. And Cavenaghi was unlucky not to convert a Ratinho cross from four yards. And Castro had a dangerous free kick punched away by Esteban. At 2-0, it would’ve made all the difference.
But it just wasn’t to be for Mallorca as another defensive mistake, this time from Ayoze, played Piatti and Juanma Ortíz onside. Ayoze failed to rectify his mistake and Ortíz happily put Almería 3-0 up after 34 minutes. And around 8 minutes later, the embarrassment was complete as Joao Victor failed to close down a long range Piatti attempt which arrowed into Lux’s bottom left hand corner. 4-0, 8-3 on aggregate.
The second half didn’t start too differently. Rubén and Ratinho were caught out once more and Piatti was only denied a hat-trick by a good stop from German Lux. But from there, the tide started to turn in the home sides favour.
Jonathan de Guzmán was unlucky with a free kick which went wide of Esteban’s left hand post and Ratinho went very close from a short free kick from Gonzalo Castro set him up for a long range effort. And just as it seemed Mallorca would be unable to score, a cross was controlled well by Víctor who laid it off to Fernando Cavenaghi. The Argentine, showing perfect composure, took a touch to take it around the defender and slot home for a consolation goal. Listen up, Laudrup.
Michael Pereira once again proved his worth with a fantastic long range strike which flew past Esteban and into his bottom right hand corner on 75 minutes. And just moments later, Gonzalo Castro and Fernando Cavenaghi linked up well before the Argentine hit a fantastic curled strike into Esteban’s bottom left hand corner from the very edge of the penalty area. With a smile beaming from his face, the striker put his hand up to the Mallorca crowd. A moment of class, and a bit of luck, from the on loan striker which surely must give him a chance in Laudrup’s team. Even if the manager did state, ‘today is not a day for praise – for anyone’.
Whilst the “comeback” was pointless in terms of the Copa del Rey – let’s face it, this tie was over on 3 minutes, let alone 42 – it was a much needed confidence boost ahead of Sunday’s game at the Iberostar Estadi against Almería. And while some may say this was a weakened side, so too was the Almería side. And more worryingly, it is painfully clear at the lack of depth in the Mallorca squad with particularly poor performances coming from new signing Ratinho and central defenders Martí Crespí and Rubén. The former, Ratinho, is certainly no stranger to a poor performance.
Perhaps, equally as worrying, is Laudrup’s refusal to give striker Fernando Cavenaghi a chance despite his proven goalscoring ability.
Teams
Real Mallorca (4-4-2): Lux; Ratinho, Martí Crespí, Rubén, Ayoze; Nsue (Pereira 53) , Joao Víctor, de Guzmán (Martí 53), Castro; Víctor, Cavenaghi.
Goals: Cavenaghi 69, 76; Pereira 75.
Almería (4-4-2): Esteban; Michel, García, Acasiete (Ortíz 72), Jakobsen; Fabián Vargas, Juanma Ortíz, Crusat, M’bami (Bernardello 65); Piatti (Cristóbal 58), Ulloa.
Goals: Piatti 1, 42; Juanma Ortíz 3, 34.