Arrasate says Mallorca “needed the points” against Barcelona after 3-0 loss | OneFootball

Jagoba Arrasate was left ruing missed opportunities after Mallorca fell to a 3-0 defeat against Barcelona at the Spotify Camp Nou on Saturday.

Mallorca, who sit just two points above the relegation zone, started well against the reigning LaLiga champions but could not find the breakthrough, with Vedat Muriqi stabbing the most promising chance wide of the target.

Speaking after the game, Arrasate assessed: “We had a good first half, but we didn’t take advantage of our chances. In the second half, [Barça] were superior and we lacked energy.

“We can’t be happy – we lost 3-0 and we needed the points.”

It was a statement echoed by left-back Johan Mojica, who noted that “we had clear options in the first half and we should have put them in.”

But 47-year-old Arrasate, who spent most of his career in Spain’s second division, revealed that he has been impressed with his team’s improved performances of late.

“Recently, I’ve seen something that I like about the team: the intention when going forward. If we carry this on, we’ll do better in this second half of the season,” he added.

Mallorca have lost just two of their home fixtures in LaLiga this season but have struggled significantly on the road, picking up just five points from 12 games off the island. Arrasate highlighted it as a key area for improvement.

He said: “When we talk about improving, we have to improve the numbers away from home because they’ve not been goof enough. If we continue like this, they will arrive.

“I’d like to think that the team is better now and it’ll show in the second half of the season.”

Mallorca’s next LaLiga fixture sees them host Real Betis at Son Moix on Sunday 15th February, and Arrasate commented that “the table is tight, so we have to have a good week and compete well in front of our fans at home on Sunday.”