Vedat Muriqi forced an early save from Benjamin Lecomte, as the hosts pursued just a second victory in their last 13 La Liga matches played on a Friday, with the only previous success in that run coming against Espanyol. Undergoing their second-worst start to a top-flight campaign in the last nine years, the visitors remained a non-existent force in the final third, as Lecomte’s opposite number, Predrag Rajković, remained a spectator.
Hoping to register consecutive victories for the first time this season, Mallorca continued to threaten the contest's opening goal as the recalled Dani Rodríguez fired over the bar. Made to be patient in the final third, the Parakeets registered their first shot on target shortly after the half-hour mark, as Rajković redirected Edu Expósito’s effort away from danger.
Mallorca had won just once on home soil coming into this clash, but a goal three minutes after the interval looked to have set them on their way towards another victory. Giovanni González lofted the ball to the back post for the menacing Muriqi to tap in his sixth of the season.
To the disbelief of Rajković and the majority within the Visit Mallorca Stadium, Espanyol were back level terms in the 70th minute, when one of Diego Martínez’s substitutes, José Carlos Lazo, caught out the Serbian goalkeeper with an ambitious cross-shot that found the net via the post. Despite most of the chances in the second half falling to Mallorca, Javier Aguirre’s side were left to settle for a frustrating share of the spoils as both he and Pablo Maffeo were red carded on the sideliens in the closing stages.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Vedat Muriqi (Mallorca)