It all started unremarkably enough, but Barça, regardless of those who were missing, gradually took a stranglehold, and on 20 minutes Fábregas finished off a movement following Alexis's pass. Two minutes later, it was Alexis himself. A rare close effort for Mallorca - Alfaro's header from Hutton's cross - was merely followed by another Alexis-Fábregas combination, the latter adding his second and then by a reciprocal arrangement, Fábregas putting Alexis in. Second half underway and immediately it was taking-the-piss moment, Fábregas completing his hat-trick. 45 minutes of going through the motions, Barça withdrawing Iniesta, Fábregas and then Piqué, Mallorca creating little.
Let's just look at Mallorca's run-in over the final eight games. Vigo (home), Rayo Vallecano (home), Zaragoza (away), Levante (home), Bilbao (away), Betis (home), Atlético Madrid (away), Valladolid (home). Points available among this lot, but with 24 points from 30 games, the stats suggest five points at most. It could be more, as strugglers Deportivo have shown by having gone a run of wins, but will it be? Five points wouldn't be anything like enough.
Bottom six (with games to be played tomorrow affecting Vigo and Osasuna):
15. Osasuna - Played 29, Points 31 (GD -7)
16. Granada - Played 30, Points 28 (GD -18)
17. Zaragoza - Played 30, Points 27 (GD -18)
18. Deportivo - Played 30, Points 26 (GD -25)
19. Vigo - Played 29, Points 24 (GD -14)
20. Mallorca - Played 30, Points 24 (GD -31)
Barcelona:
Pinto; Alves, Bartra, Piqué (Abidal 69), Montoya; Thiago, Song, Iniesta (J. Dos Santos 50); Alexis, Fábregas (Deulofeu 65), Tello
Goals: Fábregas (19, 36, 46), Alexis (21, 38)
Yellow: Alexis (74)
Mallorca:
Aouate; Hutton, Nunes, Bigas, Kevin; Tissone, Pina (Márquez 70); Nsue (Martí 45), Alfaro, G. Dos Santos; Hemed (Arizmendi 45)
Yellow: Alfaro (63)
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