Mallorca 0-1 Barcelona

Mallorca 0-1 Barcelona - Lineup/Stats
La Liga Fixtures, Results & Standings

Barcelona escaped a tense evening at the ONO Estadi unscathed as Zlatan Ibrahimovic netted the only goal of the game to hand his side all three points after Mallorca had hit the woodwork twice in the first half.

Blaugrana coach Pep Guardiola fielded a slightly weakened side with red-hot Lionel Messi and a recovering Xavi starting on the bench.

His opposite number Gregorio Manzano resisted the temptation to take a more defensive approach and the positive mindset almost paid off with just two minutes on the clock when Aritz Aduriz’s half volley cannoned back off the post. Gonzalo Castro went in for the rebound but saw his effort palmed away brilliantly by a flying Victor Valdes.

Barcelona quickly woke up after that early scare with Jeffren and Pedro looking particularly lively. The latter had the ball in the back of the net after 11 minutes when he finished off a through pass from Maxwell’s but the flag had already gone up for offside.

Barca came close again on 15 minutes when Gaby Milito’s bullet header looked destined to sail into the left top corner but Dudu Aouate made a stunning acrobatic one-handed block to tip the ball out.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic was then presented with two excellent chances. First, he managed to round Aouate but a poor touch saw him forced wide and the opening was gone. Minutes later, he went the direct route with a stinging shot but Aouate dived low to turn it behind. Jeffren was next to try his luck from distance but his effort just outside the box flashed marginally over the bar.

The Balearic Islanders suddenly found themselves pinned back for long periods but Barca were unable to carve open the opposing defence in that familiar style of theirs without the inspiration from Xavi and Messi.

And it was Mallorca who had the last chance of the first half when they were awarded a freekick right down the middle from 20 yards out. Borja curled his shot over the wall but for the second time in the game, the ONO Estadi faithful were left agonising as the ball rattled the post, although Valdes would have had it covered.

The Catalans made sure they had the better start to the second half to avoid any further close calls, but with no signs of a breakthrough, Guardiola sent in Messi just five minutes into the restart for Iniesta, who looked to have picked up a knock.

The first look-in at goal didn’t arrive until the 58th minute and it fell to Mallorca. Barca again failed to clear their lines from a set-piece and Mario Suarez pummelled in the loose ball which flew just wide.

Xavi was introduced right on the hour mark and it was just the inspiration the Blaugrana needed as they finally broke the deadlock. The playmaker whipped in a corner which was stabbed towards goal by Carles Puyol. Aouate managed to push it away but only as far as Ibrahimovic, who smashed in the rebound from three yards out.

Mallorca thought they had equalised just minutes later when Aduriz drilled a low shot past Valdes, but the whistle had already gone after he drifted offside to collect Borja’s through ball. Straight to the other end, Messi saw a ferocious half-volley palmed away by Aouate after Ibrahimovic had audaciously cushioned down Pedro’s cross with the back of his shoulder.

Messi should have wrapped up the game on 81 minutes when he breezed past two defenders to cut into the centre from the right flank but with a clear view of goal, he hammered his shot well over the bar. As the clock ticked down, the Barralets started pushing men forward and Guardiola’s troops were put under immense pressure. But the held on in the end to claim a narrow but priceless 1-0 win to go back to the summit of La Liga for at least 24 hours.

Real Madrid will regain top spot if they beat city rivals Atletico Madrid in Sunday’s 2100 CET kick-off.