Mallorca’s 1-1 Draw With Girona Sees Raillo and Saiz on Target at Son Moix

Mallorca remains unbeaten at Son Moix after a 1-1 draw with Girona on Saturday, with Antonio Raillo and Samu Saiz finding the net through penalties late in a tense, evenly matched contest.

Javier Aguirre’s side looked set to secure the win in the 86th minute when Raillo struck, only for a swift Girona counterattack to force a foul by José Copete on Samu Saiz, earning a penalty that Saiz calmly converted.

Like the team’s previous setback at Betis, Mallorca could not hold on at the end and ultimately dropped points from the spot. For now, penalties continue to be Mallorca’s Achilles heel in defining moments.

Mallorca faced a Girona defense that proved stubborn on the island. With five at the back, Míchel’s men resisted until late in the game; a counterattack at the death finally changed the script.

Girona started brighter, with a dangerous early spark from Rodrigo Riquelme, the Atletico Madrid talent, while Mallorca’s best chances came closer to half-time.

The visitors highlighted the visitors’ countergame, as Kang In Lee looked detached at times and Vedat Muriqi had to wait for the opening to surface after the first half hour.

In the first half, the action was intense on Mallorca’s flanks. Oriol Romeu stood out as the catalyst in many pivotal moves, breaking up play and initiating attacks.

Dani Rodriguez, Dani Battaglia, and Antonio Sánchez were a little off their best, and Clément Grenier stepped in to replace Sánchez later.

Mallorca could not pierce Girona’s wall until near the break. Muriqi and Dani Rodríguez pushed to disrupt the opposing defense, but opportunities were sparse.

At the 38th minute, a contentious moment arose when Díaz de Mera awarded a penalty after two Mallorca players were involved in a clash with the Girona goalkeeper. After a VAR review, the referee adjusted the decision and overturned a yellow card shown to the Girona shot-stopper.

Mallorca began the second half with fresh purpose. Grenier, introduced at 74 minutes for Antonio Sánchez, took control, though his influence did not immediately create clear chances.

The French midfielder faced a compact Girona defense and a disciplined Juan Carlos at goal. Lee’s midfield craft helped Mallorca maintain pressure, while Grenier battled in midfield and contributed to ball retention.

As the match wore on, Raillo found the ball idle on the edge of the Girona area and finished decisively, raising hopes of Mallorca securing their first win of the season at Son Moix.

Girona’s reply was swift and decisive: a counterattack that put Mallorca on the back foot again. Vallejo prepared to shoot, and Copete was forced to concede a penalty; Samu Saiz did not miss, sealing a draw and dampening Mallorca’s celebrations.

Data sheet:

1-Mayorca: Rajkovic; Maffeo, Copete, Railo, Valjent, Costa; Antonio Sánchez (Grenier, min. 60), Battaglia (Ruiz se Galarreta, min. 92), Kang In Lee, Dani Rodríguez (Abdón Prats, min. 73); and Muriqi.

1- Girona: Juan Carlos; Arnau, Santi Bueno, Oriol Romeu, Juanpe, Gutierrez (Bernardo, min. 93); Aleix Garcia, David López (Hernández, min. 93); Reinier (Toni Villa, min. 65), Riquelme (Vallejo, min. 79); and Castellanos (Saiz, min. 79).

Goals: 1-0, min. 86: Raillo; 1-1 min. 91, Samu Saiz from a penalty.

Referee: Isidro Diaz de Mera (C. Castellano-Manchego). Yellow cards: Battaglian (min. 14), Castellanos (min. 23), Muriqi (min. 29), Oriol Romeu (min. 49), Sánchez (min. 58), Copete (min. 89). Mallorca manager Javier Aguirre (min. 76).

Events: The match, part of LaLiga’s fourth day, drew 13,390 spectators at the Visit Mallorca Estadi. Former Mallorca captain Xisco Campos performed the honorary kickoff. The Balearic club distributed hats to fans in the stands and set the price of water bottles at one euro at the stadium.

Marked attribution: report and statistics are compiled from game data and post-match statements from the respective clubs and league records.