RCD Mallorca 1-5 Barcelona - Raphinha scores brace as Barca get back to winning ways at Mallorca

Goals from Ferran Torres, Raphinha – who scored twice – Frenkie de Jong and Pau Victor saw Barcelona thrash Mallorca 5-1 to end a three-match winless run in La Liga.

They lead the table by four points, but Real Madrid, in second place, have two games in hand. Mallorca, who gave a good account of themselves, stay sixth.

Barcelona started well, controlling possession and creating chances. As such, it was no surprise when they took the lead, courtesy of a terrible mess in the Mallorca defence, Johan Mojica kicking against Antonio Raillo, allowing Torres to bundle home.

Mallorca, though, were not disheartened, dominating the closing stages of the first half and earning a deserved equaliser when Pablo Maffeo squared for the returning Vedat Muriqi to slide in from close range. Barca and Hansi Flick appealed for offside, but neither the ref nor VAR saw anything amiss.

The game remained even after half-time, but then on 56 minutes, brilliant play from Dani Olmo sent Lamine Yamal away, and when Mojica brought him down, Raphinha made no mistake from the penalty spot.

This incited Mallorca to step even higher and send even more men forward, which played into Barca's hands. A gorgeous cross from Yamal allowed Raphinha to make the game safe, and additional goals from substitutes De Jong and Victor gave the result a gloss the performance of neither side deserved.

Barcelona, by their standards, did not play well tonight... yet they scored five and might easily have had a few more.

This is not because of any great tactical plan or cunning strategy; rather, they have a genius in Yamal along with the brilliant Pedri, Olmo and Raphinha, meaning they are capable of annihilating any defence. So far this season, their league campaign has yielded a ridiculous 48 goals in 16 games.

However, they conceded once and might easily have let in more, which is to say their defending and defenders are not of similar standard. Inigo Martinez, Pau Cubarsi, Jules Kounde and Alejandro Balde have proved themselves to be excellent players, but as a unit they are far too square far too often, and lack the kind of dominating organiser that most elite sides have.

As such, Flick's men look good enough to beat anyone, but also weak enough to lose to anyone – as they did at home to Las Palmas at the weekend. And, though they are great fun to watch, if they do not tighten up at the back – and they are capable of doing so – it'll be hard for them to outlast Real Madrid over the course of a season. If they do, they are a threat not just domestically but in Europe too.

The skipper led from the front, scoring twice and giving Mallorca more aggravation than they could handle.

RCD Mallorca: Roman 6, Maffeo 7, Vljent 6, Raillo 6, Mojica 5, Costa 5, Morlanes 5, Darder 6, Sanchez 5, Fernandez 5, Muriqi 6. Subs: Dani Rodriguez 6, Navarro 6, Larin 6, Morey 6, Abdon 6.

Barcelona: Pena Sotorres 6, Kounde 6, Cubarsi 6, Martinez 6, Balde 7, Pedri 6, Casado 5, Lamine Yamal 8, Olmo 7, Raphionha 8, Ferran Torres 6. Subs: De Jong 7, Pau Victor 7, Gavi 6, Garcia 6, Fermin 6.

12' GOAL! RCD MALLORCA 0-1 BARCELONA (Ferran Torres) Goodness me this is a mess. A through-pass to Olmo is easily snuffed out, except then Mojica kicks the ball against Raillo, it bounces into the path of Torres ... and even then, he bobbles a finish that somehow goes through legs and into the net, the keeper expecting a less inept finish. What a mess!

43’ - GOAL! RCD MALLORCA 1-1 BARCELONA (MURIQI) We said t! One pass on the turn into space, Maffeo races clear, squares, and Muriqi slides in ... but was one of them offside? Was Costa offside? No says VAR!

55’ - PENALTY TO BARCA! Olmo does brilliantly to bring the ball down in centrefield and, before it drops, he sweeps a gorgeous pass in behind and Lamine is away! He does really well to cut in front of Mojica, almost ensuring he can't be tackled fairly, but Mojica has to try, doing well to go shoulder to shoulder, but in the process he kicks his man from behind and then has no choice. Mojica is booked.

56’ - GOAL! RCD MALLORCA 1-2 BARCELONA (RAPHINHA PEN) The captain leathers left-footed, bottom-right.

74’ - GOAL! RCD MALLORCA 1-3 BARCELONA (RAPHINHA) Lamine Yamal is a genius. Given small amounts of time and space down the he uses the outside of his boot to bend a delectable low cross into the middle, meeting the run of Raphinha, who stretches out studs to poke into the far corner. That, surely, is that.

79’ - GOAL! RCD MALLORCA 1-3 BARCELONA (DE JONG) That is definitely that now! Another lovely curled ball with the outside of the foot from Lamine, this time down the line for Victor, who crosses low and hard; Raillo slides in to avert immediate danger, but De Jong, following up, gleefully whacks the loose ball home.

84’ - GOAL! RCD MALLORCA 1-5 BARCELONA (VICTOR) A fine dig from Balde finds Lamine inside the Mallorca box, one-on-one with Morey. And though he's crowded out, rampaging behind him is De Jong, who seizes the loose ball, turns a low cross square, and sliding in, Victor finishes. These subs have worked out alright, eh?