Mallorca and Athletic Club have resolved with a 1-1 draw in Son Moix a match that was key to getting closer to their respective objectives in the Santander League: permanence and Europe. Kang In Lee scored for the Majorcan players and Iñaki Willliams equalized after a controversial penalty in added time, much protested by the vermillions.
Javier Aguirre and Ernesto Valverde's teams have one point each, which does not fulfill the aspirations of the vermilions and rojiblancos, and whose value will be determined by the results they achieve in the coming days.
The Mallorcan fans are still on the verge of mathematically securing the category, since, according to Vasco, 42 points are needed -they add up to 41- "to be calm" in the seven days that remain before the end of the championship. The "lions" of Txingurri Valverde keep the pulse to enter the European zone with the tables in Palma, but they have work ahead of them.
The coach from Cáceres came out with everything in a scenario where Madrid, Atlético de Madrid and Villarreal fell, among other teams, but from which 26 of the 51 points at stake have flown in 16 games after this Monday's defeat. Aguirre, for his part, had warned of the danger involved in receiving an Athletic team that was risking part of its future in European competitions. For this reason, he did not keep any ace up his sleeve, as he did last day when he rested the South Korean Kang In Lee and the Kosovar Vedat Muriqi.
Mallorca fought against a rival that made things very difficult for them. The two teams prioritized avoiding mistakes in the first half, which was even, but with few arrivals at the goals defended by Predrag Rajkovic and Julen Aguirrezabala, starter under the sticks replacing Unai Simon.
Mutual respect between two teams that were playing very important points prevailed on the sunny Majorcan afternoon; Decisive players in the attacking zone, such as Iñaki Williams and Gorka Guruzeta for Athletic, Kang In Lee and Vedat Muriqi for Mallorca, had few balls. Lee was more active, but his incursions had no run against a very solid visiting defensive block.
The clearest opportunity came from the vermillions with a shot from the Slovak central defender Martin Valjent in the area of the Bilbao team that was very close to beating Aguirrezabala. Valverde reinforced his attack by bringing on Nico Williams for Guruzeta in a much more dynamic second half, played to the open grave in search of victory by Mallorcan fans and lions.
The scoring chances followed one another: Athletic requested a penalty for some hands from Martin Valjent, but the VAR, after studying the action, did not appreciate the maximum foul; Aguirrezabala saved the team from him by clearing a ball that Muriqi reached after a mistake by Daniel Vivian, and soon after Amath Ndiayé smashed a shot off the crossbar. It was the play prior to Lee's goal, the sixth of his personal account, and that he had already scored a brace in the win against Getafe. The South Korean hooked a bitten shot that slipped into the Basque team's goal without Yeray and Aguirrezabala, both stumbling, being able to do anything to prevent it.
Nico Williams was a real headache for the vermilion defense from the moment he entered the field of play. The most dangerous plays for the Balearic goal came out of his boots, in a few intense minutes, in which Athletic exhausted all its resources in search of an equalizer. The tie for the lions came in injury time in a jumbled play, in which the referee decreed a penalty amid the fiery protests of the Mallorcan fans and the entire stadium. Ruiz de Galarreta deflected a shot from Raúl García with his arm shortly after the local players claimed a previous foul that the referee did not appreciate as such.
The tie leaves Mallorca and Athletic halfway, who will have to continue fighting to achieve their respective goals.
1-Mallorca: Rajkovic; Maffeo, Valjent, Raillo (Hadzikadunic, 66 mins), Copete, Jaume Costa; Morlanes (Baba, 72 minutes), Ruiz de Galarreta, Kang In Lee (Antonio Sanchez, 85 minutes), Ndiayé (73 minutes), Muriqi (Kadewere, 85 minutes).
1-Athletic Club: Aguirrezabala; Paredes, Vivian, Yeray (De Marcos, min. 65), Yuri; Ander Herrera (Zárraga, min. 65), Vesga (Adu Ares, min. 75); Iñaki Williams, Raúl García, Berenguer (Dani García, min. 75), Cruzeta (Nico Williams, min. 46).
Goals: 1-0, min. 57: Kang In Lee; 1-1 min. 96 Iñaki Williams, from a penalty.
Referee: Jorge Figueroa Vázquez (Andalusian Committee). He showed Raillo the direct red card (min. 96) for protesting from the bench after Iñaki Williams' goal. He admonished Raillo (min. 15), Muriqi (min. 17), Maffeo (min. 29), Ruiz de Galarreta (min. 94), from Mallorca; Berchiche (min. 40) and Nico Williams (min. 63), from Athletic.
Incidents: Match corresponding to day 32 of LaLiga played at the Son Moix stadium before 16,807 spectators.
