| Defeat ‘in extremis’ (2-3) |
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| Monday, 12 May 2008 | |
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Barça lost to Mallorca in the last game of the season in the Camp Nou. Henry and Eto’o had put Barça ahead, but Mallorca were able to fight back in the second half and scored the third in the 93rd minute.
Frank Rijkaard’s last game as Barça manager in the stadium ended with Mallorca beating the ‘culés’ 3-2. The Dutch coach -greeted by an ovation every time he got off the bench to give instructions- was the main attraction in a game with a very strange atmosphere. The goals from Henry and Eto’o kept the home side ahead until well into the second half, but the strikes by Borja Valero, Webó and Güiza turned the result around. Another great goal by Henry The game began amid a rare climate. To begin with the crowd booed the team with white hankies being waved in initial disapproval. This caused unrest on the playing field, gradually filtering away little by little as Barça started to attack. Messi and Eto’o were the first to threaten in front of goal before Henry scored the first. In the sixteenth minute, the French forward calmed the nerves with another great goal, fruit of a shot from the edge of the box passing tight inside Moya’s right hand post. Mallorcan pressure After the first goal the game’s rhythm dropped considerably. Mallorca, who had come with an ambitious game plan that made it difficult for Barça to bring the ball out, pushing deep into Barça’s half. Manzano’s men, however, didn’t have it so easy either to push up with clarity and they suffered every time Messi got the ball. Although they did bring out the best in Pinto from two dead ball situations. Goal number two, from a great triangulation The substitution of Bojan for Deco (with physical difficulties) at the restart meant a change in tactics: Barça put Edmilson and Touré as double pivot, and Messi just ahead in the middle. In the 56th minute, a brilliant triangulation between Eto’o, Henry and Messi ended in the second goal for Barça. Eto’o, opportunist as always, made the most of the rebound from Moyà after an impressive shot from the Argentinian. Giovanni later substituted Messi. Visitors’ reaction Mallorca, with the UEFA position in play, didn’t give up and closed the gap with a shot from Borja Valero deflected involuntarily by Thuram (67th min.). Almost immediately, Webó made the most of an indecisive Barça defence to surprise Pinto with a shot that hit the ground before curving in (70th min.). Güiza decides Eto’o almost claimed victory with a clear opportunity thwarted by Moyà (80th min). Barça were looking for the three points, but left too much space at the back and Mallorca weren’t about to give up. In the dying moments, while the team were still trying, the applauses and the whistling stated up again, which got worse when Güiza scored in the 93rd min., which finished the duel. |
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