Photo: Rafa Babot / Getty Images
For: EFE Updated 15 May 2022, 20: 44 pm EDT
The Mallorca has left the relegation zone and will depend on himself to secure the permanence on the last day against Osasuna in Pamplona, after defeating Rayo Vallecano 2-1 this Sunday in a game that was vital for the Mexican Javier Aguirre, but absolutely inconsequential for those of coach Andoni Iraola.
The tension and desire that the Majorcan players put on the pitch were decisive for Abdón from the Balearic Islands Prats, hero of the last promotion to First Division, scored the winning goal in stoppage time.
The Mallorcan goal against Rayo was twofold: erase from his public the terrible image offered last week against Granada, which thrashed 2-6, and keep alive the flame of hope to risk permanence in El Sadar.
From minute 1 it was clear that the one who played the life was Mallorca. His game, vertical and looking hard for the rival goal, overwhelmed a Rayo that arrived at Son Moix with their homework done and already thinking about the next season.
Not that the team de Vallecas put out a red carpet for the locals to show off, far from it. But until the second half he was always in tow, surpassed by an opponent who was playing for the First Division.
Mallorca was superior in the first part to a harmless Rayo in the last meters. The Colombian Radamel Falcao and the Frenchman of Congolese origin Randy Nteka did not find spaces to disturb Manolo Reina.
Neither the midfield of the Madrid team was able to overcome a well-placed rival on the field of play and who was able to set the pace of the match that was most convenient for his interests with the goal by Vedat Muriqi.
The Kosovar striker has become the great figure Mallorcan since he arrived on the island in the last winter market. With his fifth goal he became the team’s top scorer along with Salva Sevilla.
Aguirre repeated the 0-0 block in Seville and his counterpart Iraola appealed to the rotations forced by important casualties in their ranks.
The vermilions went to rest depending on themselves for the objective of the permanence due to Cadiz’s draw against Real Madrid.
Although Aguirre had warned that he did not want to know anything about what was happening on other courses, many Majorcan fans followed the movements in the scoreboard of the Nuevo Mirandilla stadium.
Rayo came out after the break determined to seek a tie. He forced Mallorca to go back many meters, each time, with more danger for the local goal. When “Vasco” Aguirre was preparing to make the first changes, the visitor’s goal came, the work of Pathè Ciss from Senegal, who headed in free from marking after a corner and left the local fans speechless.
Start again, this time with the Japanese Take Kubo and Dani Rodríguez in the field, the vermilion they launched into a desperate attack. Rayo’s goal returned them to relegation places in a final stretch that was played to an open grave.
Mallorca tried everything, even at the risk of leaving Manolo Reina unprotected. And the hero was Abdón Prats , an idol for the Mallorcan fans , who did not hesitate to shoot on goal in the minute 91 to give life to his team.
After Cádiz’s draw, Mallorca leaves the relegation zone (surpasses the Cadiz in the particular calculation) and will depend on himself to continue one more season in the First Division .