Analysis: Can RCD Mallorca restore the magic of yesteryear? | OneFootball

It has been a glamorous start to the decade for RCD Mallorca supporters.

The Balearic side returned to the top-flight in 2019/20 for the first time in seven years, only to suffer relegation, but they immediately bounced back to La Liga, narrowly staving off the drop by just a point. Mallorca would turn the corner under Mexican coach Javier Aguirre, who took charge midway through the 2021/22 season, who led the club to a comfortable ninth-place finish in his first full campaign at the helm. Los Bermellones would regress in 2023/24, finishing 15th in the table, seven points above the drop, but enjoyed a magical run to the Copa del Rey final. Whilst they were cruelly denied their first trophy in 21 years as Athletic Club prevailed on penalties, there were nevertheless plenty of reasons to be proud for Mallorca fans.

Aguirre was then replaced by Jagoba Arrasate, who was coming off a masterful spell at Osasuna that saw the club earn promotion and consolidate their presence in the top division as well as reach their own Copa del Rey final the year before. Despite being starved of a consistent source of goals (Vedat Muriqi and Cyle Larin were their top scorers with seven goals apiece in all competitions), Mallorca managed to punch above their weight and finish 10th in the table, eight clear of the drop. They did so thanks to a no-nonsense style of tackling and an effective counter-attacking approach as well as diligent and cohesive rest defence, boasting the sixth-best defense (44 goals conceded) in the league and the second-most clearances per game (29.1) while also leading the league for accurate crosses per game (5.8) alongside Osasuna.

Image via RCD Mallorca

“There are very teams that will play with a 4-4-2 with one big man and one small man and hit the ball long, but Mallorca did that last season… They were hard to beat, and they survived,” stated ex-Premier League striker Gordon Watson in an exclusive Football España interview. Watson, who previews and analyses LaLiga matches on a regular basis for the BetUS Soccer Channel, has often touted Mallorca’s defensive prowess on his shows as well as their ability to punch above their weight.

“Mallorca defended really well, and they’d play long balls up to their big man, Muriqi, who brought it down and linked up with his teammates,” noted Watson. “The teams that are sort of successful despite not having the riches are those who get the ball in the opposition’s final third and get on the end of things and deliver, they’re not tossing the ball around in areas that don’t create goals. With all of this passing the ball out of the back, you’re asking for trouble.”

Image via Diario AS

All signs pointed to Mallorca building further under Arrasate this season; instead, it has been a torrid start to the campaign. They lasted just seven minutes before conceding the opening goal to reigning champions Barcelona, with Ferran Torres doubling the lead shortly after in controversial circumstances. From that point on, Mallorca let their emotions get the best of them, with Manu Morlanes and Muriqi being sent off in quick succession, whilst Lamine Yamal put the seal on the 3-0 victory in the final second.

Deprived of their attacking talisman against Celta de Vigo the following week, Mallorca found themselves chasing the game after Javier Rueda put the Galicians in front before the break. However, Mateu Morey’s late equalizer would see them salvage a point at the Estadi Son Moix, before heading for the Spanish capital and taking on Real Madrid.

This time, it was Mallorca who took the initiative, with Muriqi returning from his suspension and heading home from a corner kick. Los Blancos would level proceedings as Alvaro Carreras teed up fellow summer arrival Dean Huijsen with an inch-perfect, high cross into the box. Huijsen headed across goal, allowing Arda Guler to nod into an empty net, whilst Vinicius Junior would complete the comeback seconds later. Mallorca’s defence folded and found themselves vulnerable against Real’s star-studded attack, with Xabi Alonso’s side registering 17 shots and 1.82 Expected Goals, as well as having three goals disallowed.

Having faced the two best teams in Spain as well as a stubborn Celta side that will be returning to European competition this season, it’s perhaps no surprise that Mallorca find themselves in the relegation zone, with only Levante and Girona accumulating fewer points thus far. Whilst they’ve kept hold of Morey and Samu Costa despite transfer speculation, they’ve nevertheless lost two key figures in Larin and starting defender Jose Copete, and left much of their transfer business until late, with Arrasate being forced to work around a revolving-doors transfer policy. More concerning still, has been the dressing room issues symbolised by a recent drama with captain Dani Rodriguez.

Mallorca will be seeking to end a dreadful run of form that has seen them lose six of their last nine league fixtures, and in order to do so, they’ll need to shore up their defence. The sturdy defensive bedrock that provided the foundation for their success in recent years has shown signs of cracking in August, with only Levante (7) and Girona (10) conceding more goals than Mallorca (6). In order to secure their first win in Cornella since 2011 against Espanyol, they desperately need to limit errors at the back, as well as find the right synergy in the final third.

After two weeks to regroup and rethink, Arrasate’s men will return to action on the 15th of September as they travel to Espanyol, a match that will see new signing Marash Kumbulla face off against his former club. Having come off the bench at halftime against Celta and started against Real Madrid, Mallorca will be counting on Kumbulla to provide the goods as they look to secure their first away win since the 12th of April and their first win anywhere since the 10th of May.