Two brilliant goals from Dálisson and Yelko, followed by Rufo, cemented Pontevedra’s celebrations as they took down another La Liga giant.
With a new demonstration of football, Pontevedra CF offered its supporters an unforgettable gift for the Kings, thus extending their idyll with the Copa del Rey after correcting Mallorca (3-0) in a round that they dominated from start to finish. Two superb goals from Dalisson and Yelko Pino preceded a late strike from Rufo, sealing the fate of the match.
At the top of Group I of the Segunda Federación, Pontevedra played at the pace imposed by the Hispano-Brazilian Dalisson. The Maroon team showed significant superiority during the first half hour, exhibiting excellent play at times. With plenty of passing and an assertive attacking style, they overwhelmed a Mallorca side who only threatened when behind in the table.
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Dalisson, the hero of the previous round against Villarreal, brought the Galician fans to their feet with a spectacular 25-yard strike to open the score at 1-0 midway through the first half. It was the reward for the effort of a courageous Pontevedra.
Earlier, Chiqui had already caused some concern for the Bermellón team with a shot that skimmed the target. But even at 1-0, Pontevedra continued to attack, playing as if they were the first division team. Dalisson treated this match as a showcase to show the breadth of his repertoire, with almost all offensive actions starting from his feet.
Barely half an hour into the game, a pass from him brought Xabi Domínguez one-on-one with the central defender, but he failed to get past him. Moments later, Mallorca had their best chance of the first half. Pontevedra’s defense called for offside, but referee Hernández Hernández let it play. Abdón Prats found himself alone against Manu Vizoso, but his shot flew past the goalkeeper and hit the left post.
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As the minutes passed, Mallorca improved, but Pontevedra, having lost Chiqui to injury, struck again early in the second half with another brilliant goal from Yelko Pino, a promising talent from the club’s academy. Celta which has struggled to establish itself in professional football.
In the 55th minute, before Arrasate deployed all his artillery – Muriqui, Dani Rodríguez and Larin – Abdón Prats had a golden opportunity to bring his team back into the match. His shot missed the target.
Between the 60th and 67th minutes, Pontevedra almost sealed the victory. With a subtle heel, Dalisson set up Álex González in front of Leo Román, but captain Maroon made the wrong choice by passing to teammate Iago Novo instead of shooting.
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A few minutes later, Leo Román denied the Galician goal with a fantastic save on Dalisson’s shot from outside the area, followed by another spectacular dive to block a powerful shot from Garay. Mallorca caught its breath, but not for long. A monumental mistake by Copete in handing the ball back to his keeper left veteran striker Rufo in a one-on-one situation, which he calmly converted against Leo Román.
