On debut, substitute Marcus Rashford became the first Englishman to play a first-team game for Barcelona since former England striker Gary Lineker in 1989.
IMAGE: FC Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal in action with RCD Mallorca’s Johan Mojica during their LaLiga match at Estadi Mallorca Son Moix, Palma de Mallorca, Spain, on Saturday. Photograph: Francisco Ubilla/Reuters
Barcelona cruised to a 3-0 win at nine-man Mallorca in their opening LaLiga game of the season on Saturday as England forward Marcus Rashford made his debut off the bench.
Mallorca’s Manu Morlanes and Vedat Muriqi were sent off within six first-half minutes after Raphinha and Ferran Torres struck early for the Spanish champions.
“These are three very important points, but I didn’t like the match. The team dropped their intensity too much in the second half, that’s not acceptable. We need to talk about it,” Barcelona coach Hansi Flick said.
Raphinha headed home after seven minutes and Torres doubled the lead in the 23rd minute to put the Spanish champions in command.
Mallorca players complained to the referee, saying they had stopped playing when a teammate went down in the lead-up to Torres’s goal, but the referee was unmoved.
“I always tell my players not to stop until the referee blows the final whistle. It’s the referee who has to decide,” Flick said.
Morlanes was shown a second yellow card for a foul on Lamine Yamal after 33 minutes and Muriqi received a straight red after his high challenge caught Joan Garcia.
Rashford, on loan from Manchester United, was sent on in the 69th minute for his debut, becoming the first Englishman to play a first-team game for Barcelona since former England striker Gary Lineker in 1989.
Yamal found the top corner with an excellent shot four minutes into stoppage time to complete the visitors’ comfortable win.
Barcelona travel to Levante next Saturday, when Mallorca host Celta Vigo.
Monaco, Lyon win; Nice lose at home
IMAGE: OGC Nice’s Antoine Mendy (left) is challenged by Toulouse’s Waren Kamanzi during their Ligue 1 match at Allianz Riviera, Nice, France, on Saturday. Photograph: Manon Cruz/Reuters
England international Eric Dier scored on his competitive debut for AS Monaco, who kicked off their Ligue 1 campaign with a comfortable 3-1 home win over Le Havre on Saturday.
An own goal by Le Havre defender Gautier Lloris put Monaco ahead in the 32nd minute. Former Tottenham Hotspur and Bayern Munich player Dier doubled the hosts’ lead shortly after the hour mark, finding the target off Lamine Camara’s cross.
Le Havre, who finished one point above the relegation playoff spot last season, struck back six minutes later with Rassoul Ndiaye cutting in from the left and finding the net near the far post with a low right-footed shot.
The visitors pushed for an equaliser but paid the price for their high defensive line when Denis Zakaria ran up the empty space into the Le Havre box and crossed to Maghnes Akliouche for a close-range finish.
Earlier, Olympique Lyonnais also got their campaign off to a winning start when Georges Mikautadze scored in added time before the break to give them a 1-0 win at RC Lens.
Monaco, who finished third last season, visit Lille on August 24 when Le Havre host Lens.
Nice got off to a poor start. losing at home to Toulouse 1-0 after Djibril Sidibé scored last minute winner.
Marseille lost at Rennes 1-0 on Friday.
