Controversial decisions marred Barca's 3-0 win

Referees performance raised questions about consistency in La Liga once again

- BY SHAMSEER MOHAMMED Staff Writer

Barcelona’s La Liga opener against Mallorca was effectively over by halftime, but not in the way anyone expected. What should have been a competitive fixture turned into a complete mismatch when the Catalan giants raced to a 2-0 lead while their hosts were reduced to just nine men — all within the first 45 minutes.

The game was finished as a contest when Mallorca suffered back-to-back red cards. Manu Morlanes was sent off for a second yellow in the 33rd minute after a late challenge, and just six minutes later, Vedat Muriqi followed him down the tunnel for catching Barcelona’s new keeper Joan Garcia in the face with a high boot. Both decisions were spot on from the referee.