Martín Demichelis’ start as RCD Mallorca manager got off to a 2-2 draw against CA Osasuna as Vedat Muriqi’s brace was cancelled out by two late goals by Kike Barja and Ante Budimir.
Demichelis opted to pack the midfield with starts for Manu Morlanes, Omar Mascarell, Samu Costa, Pablo Torre and Matteo Joseph, while Muriqi led the forward line.
The game got off to a slow start with chances few and far between for both sides during the opening exchanges.
It would be a goalkeeping error that would open up the game in the 35th minute as Sergio Herrera’s miscalculated header bounced off Muriqi’s chest and into the goal.
It would prove to be the talking point of an otherwise uneventful first half as we went into the break ahead.
Muriqi made it two goals to the good when he managed to find himself in a one-v-one situation, lose his marker with a clever shoulder drop and find the bottom corner from the edge of the box in the 61st minute.
We were then reduced to 10-men as Jan Virgili was given a straight red card for a mistimed challenge in the 73rd minute.
The numbers on the pitch were made equal again less than minutes later as in the 82nd minute a VAR review revealed Raul Garcia to have challenged with studs up.
Budimir thought he had pulled one back in the 86th minute when he found the back of the net with a striker's finish but he was adjudged to be offside.
We would have no such luck in the 89th minute Barja poked home from close range after a dangerous ball was whipped into the box.
Budimir would equalise in the 94th minute with a curled finish into the bottom corner as we headed back to the island with a point.
LINE-UPS:
CA Osasuna: Sergio Herrera; Rosier, Catena, Herrando (Juan Cruz, 77'), Javi Galán (Moi Gómez, 77'); Moncayola (Kike Barja, 77'), Lucas Torró (Raúl Moro, 56'), Aimar Oroz; Rubén Garcia (Raúl García, 56'), Víctor Muñoz y Budimir.
RCD Mallorca: Leo Román; Maffeo (Mateu Jaume, 88'), Valjent, Raíllo (David López, 53'), Mojica; Samu Costa, Omar Mascarell, Morlanes (Virgili, 63'), Pablo Torre (Sergi Darder, 53'); Vedat Muriqi y Mateo Joseph (Antonio Sánchez, 88').
Goals: Muriqi (min. 35 y min. 61), Kike Barja (min. 89) y Budimir (min. 94).
