De Guzman goal take three for Mallorca

Published Aug. 28, 2011 1:00 a.m. ET

foxsports

Mallorca got their Primera Liga campaign off to successful start with a comfortable 1-0 win over Espanyol at the Iberostar.

Jonathan De Guzman scored the only goal of the game with a deflected effort half an hour from time in a match between two sides confident in possession but failing to provide a potent goal threat.

In particular Espanyol, deprived of the services of former captain Pablo Osvaldo after he signed for Roma, looked toothless in attack and were unable to make any impression on the Mallorca goal after falling behind.

The home side started very brightly and should have been ahead within four minutes, but Alejandro Alfaro fired wastefully wide after being put through by Emilio Nsue.

Espanyol goalkeeper Cristian Alvarez then had to make three saves in quick succession from Tomer Hemed, De Guzman and even his own defender Jordi Amat's misguided header.

Espanyol had their best chance of the match in the 27th minute when Spain Under-20 striker Alvaro Vasquez just failed to get his head on the end of an excellent cross from the right.

The visitors came close again after the break when Vasquez this time did get on the end of a Didac Vila cross but diverted it just wide. Two minutes later, Nsue should have put Mallorca ahead but blazed over after bursting through into the box.

The goal did arrive for the hosts on 62 minutes when a tame De Guzman effort looked set to roll into Cristian's arms before it struck an Espanyol defender and ricochet into the opposite corner of the net.

The visitors tried to respond in the final quarter but only succeeded in making themselves more vulnerable to the Mallorca counter-attack and with more composure in the final third the home side could have added to their tally.