We ended our first season back in La Liga after six years with a 2-2 draw at CA Osasuna courtesy of goals from Lumor and Ante Budimir.
Vicente Moreno made five changes to the side that had lost 2-1 to CF Granada earlier in the week, notably handing Miquel Parera his first La Liga start in place of the rested Manolo Reina. Elsewhere, Pablo Charvarría was preferred to Cucho Hernández in attack, while Aleix Febas and Lago Junior started in midfield over Salva Sevilla and Take Kubo respectively. Named in first XI for the fourth time this campaign, Xisco Campos paired Martin Valjent in central defence in the absence of Aleksandar Sedlar following his suspension.
It was the latter of the changes who had the opening chance of the game when he ghosted into the box to head over the bar from a set-piece with 11 minutes on the clock. Neither side had hit the ground running despite our capitan’s earlier attempt on goal, yet against the run of play, Adrian Lopez put the finishing touch to an incisive counter-attack after Dani Rodríguez had been unlucky to lose possession in central midfield in the 22nd minute.
With the wind in their sails after the opener and enjoying a fruitful spell of possession, the hosts came close to killing the game off three minutes later only to be denied by Lumor’s goal-line intervention against Kike Barja.
Fighting our way back into contention as time slowly ticked towards the break, Lago Junior and then Ante Budimir had half-chances which were unable to test Rubén in the opposition goal.
Proving to be decisive at both ends of the pitch following his prior defensive heroics, the Lumor levelled matters in injury time with an explosive half volley launched from 25-yards into the bottom corner.
The restart followed a similar rhythm to the opening 45 mintues with little to separate to the two sides with the best chance of the opening exchanges falling to Alejandro Pozo’s weaker foot. Take Kubo’s introduction gave us greater incisiveness on the left flank with his quick feet and direction, a combination of which was inches of away from the far post just past the hour mark.
A resilient performance in the second half was ultimately rewarded in the 65th minute when Ante Budimir connected with Xisco Campos’ cross to head home from inside the box.
However, CA Osauna hit back with an instant response three minutes later through an Iñigo Pérez drive on the edge of the box which the oustretched Parera could do little about.
Despite a late VAR call ruling out what could have been a late winner for the hosts courtesy of Jose Arnáiz, the scoreline wouldn’t change before the final whistle as we finished the season with 33 points in 19th position but ready to fight for a return to La Liga ahead of the following campaign.
RCD Mallorca: Parera, Lumor (87’), Valjent, Xisco Campos, Pozo, Baba (87’), Febas (74’), Dani Rodríguez, Lago Junior (59’), Chavarría (59’), Budimir
Substitutes: Reina, Pere Joan, Obrador (87’), Señé, Luka, Salva Sevilla (59’), Salibur, Trajkovski (74’), Take (59’), Luka, Abdón (87’)
CA Osasuna: Rubé, Roncaglia, Nacho Vidal, Lato (66’), David García, Kike Barja (81’), R. Torres, Oier (59’), Fran Mérida (59’), Adrián (81’), Jose Arnáiz
Substitutes: S. Herrera, Juan Pérez, Raúl Navas, Iñigo Pérez (59’), Aridane, Jon Moncayola (59’), Estupiñán (66’), Javi Martínez (81’), Aimar Oroz (81’), Hualde
Goles: Adrián, 1-0 (21’); Lumor, 1-1 (45’); Ante Budmir, 1-2 (65’); Iñigo Perez, 2-2 (68’)
