Salva Sevilla's penalty and Ante Budimir’s late goal secured our first point away from home in a hard-fought 2-2 draw against Celta Vigo.
Vicente Moreno made just one change to his starting XI following last week’s defeat at FC Barcelona, opting for the previously suspended Lumor Agbenyenu in favour of Joan Sastre while Lago Junior returned to the bench having also missed the trip to Camp Nou through injury.
A slow start invited pressure in the opening exchanges, one which Rafinha eventually made us pay for on the 20th minute when he nodded home Lucas Olaza’s cross from a few yards out.
The setback served as a wake-up call and having sustained an encouraging period in the opposition’s final third, it wasn’t long before a lengthy VAR review was required to adjudge Joseph Aidoo’s tripping of Budimir in the box. Once finally given, Salva Sevilla made no mistake from the spot to level matters in the 33rd minute.
The midfielder’s third goal of the campaign would ultimately be the final noteworthy moment of a tightly-contested first 45 minutes of football.
We were once again pegged back five minutes into the second half via Iago Aspas’s penalty after substitute Cucho Hernández was ruled to have fouled Olaza.
Lago Junior’s introduction changed our dynamic as we searched for an equaliser, although the side were indebted to goal-line blocks from Manolo Reina and then Martin Valjent during a dangerous counter.
We were then forced to see out the closing 12 minutes of the clash with 10 men as Antonio Raillo received his marching orders for a second bookable offence.
Refusing to throw in the towel despite the disadvantage, our fighting spirit was rewarded in the closing moments as Budimir tucked away Cucho Hernández’s knock down of Lago Junior’s cross to cue pandemonium in the away section at the Estadio Municipal de Balaídos.
RCD Mallorca: Reina, Gámez, Raíllo, Valjent, Lumor Agbenyenu, Baba, Salva Sevilla (61’), Febas (46’), Dani Rodríguez, Kubo (77’), Budimir
Substitutes: Fabricio, Sastre, Xisco Campos, Señé, Lago Junior (61’), Chavarria (77’), Cucho Hernández (46’)
Celta Vigo: Rubén Blanco, Vázquez (89’), Araújo, Aidoo, Olaza, Méndez (66’), Sisto, Okay, Lobotka, Rafinha, Aspas
Substitutes: Francisco Vieites, Mallo, Costas, Hernández (89’), Beltrán, Mina (66’), Cheikh
Goals: Rafinha, 1-0 (20’); Salva Sevilla 1-1 (33’); Aspas, 2-1 (50’); Budimir, 2-2 (83’).
