FCBARCELONA.CAT

12.06.2007 10:17

Mallorca have strong Bernabéu record

Jesús Carrillo

The league is by no means over for Barça, despite needing to get a result against Nàstic and hope for a Real Madrid slip at home to Mallorca. After all, the Islanders have an excellent record in recent years at the Santiago Bernabéu.

And coupled with some good results on trips to Madrid in the past, Mallorca also have a good record away from the Ono Stadium this season. Real Madrid may top the league, but still have plenty of reasons to feel concerned about Sunday night.

In Mallorca’s last six games at the Bernabeu, they have won three times in emphatic fashion. In 2001 they won 2-0 to clinch their first ever league victory at the Madrid stadium, and two years later rocked the capital with a historic 5-1 triumph. They made it two wins in a row at the Bernabeu the following season with a 3-2 victory. Since the turn of century, the Balearic outfit have also drawn 0-0, with just two out of six encounters going Madrid’s way.

Among the best

Mallorca have been one of the best sides on the road this season. FC Barcelona got the chance to witness that for themselves at the Camp Nou when it took a late own goal from former Barça man Fernando Navarro to win a game that looked to be heading for a stalemate.

Mallorca have collected 20 away points this season, winning six games (at Racing, Celta, Sevilla, Gimnástic, Betis and Levante) and drawing two (at the Vicente Calderón and in Huelva). It is interesting to note that Barça have picked up just two and four fewer away points, respectively, than Champions League qualifiers Valencia and Sevilla.

Radios at the ready

After all three of the potential title winners were held to draws on Saturday night, the final round of Liga matches promises to produce another evening of high drama. Barça will be in Tarragona and Sevilla at home to Villarreal, and both will be praying that Real Madrid stumble. And if recent records are anything to go by, that is not as unlikely a possibility as some people would like to believe.