The early stages of the match showed two teams with clear attacking intentions, though neither side was accurate with their advances into the final third.
Mallorca enjoyed the early edge in possession, but they failed to threaten Giorgi Mamardashvili, who, just like Dominik Greif at the other end, were mere spectators at the Estadi Mallorca Son Moix.
Something special needed to happen for either side to break the deadlock, and that’s exactly what happened in the 30th minute.
A cross from Javi Guerra came off Johan Mojica’s arm inside the box, prompting Alejandro Quintero Gonzalez to award the penalty, and Luis Rioja converted from the spot to give the visitors a 1-0 lead.
Mallorca woke up after conceding the opener and generated a few dangerous chances, mainly via Cyle Larin and Dani Rodriguez, and the two players combined for the equaliser in stoppage time.
The Canada international took advantage of a beautiful cross from Rodriguez to beat Mamardashvili, giving him his second goal of the season and send both teams into the break on level terms.
The second half unfolded in a similar fashion to the first, though both sides looked slightly more determined to grab the lead.
Larin was Mallorca’s most dangerous player, and at times, he looked like the only one looking to provide a spark on either team, while Valencia seemed to grow more and more content with the draw as the second half progressed.
Both sides made attacking-minded changes in the final 20 minutes, with Prats returning from injury for Mallorca and Pepelu making his way back for Valencia following a two-game suspension.
Prats ended up being the hero for Mallorca, as he scored just three minutes after his entrance with a close-range header following a perfect cross from Sergi Darder to give the hosts a deserved 2-1 lead with his second goal of the campaign.
Valencia didn’t have enough ideas to push for a late comeback in the final minutes of the game, and the hosts ended up securing the three points while keeping their early-season European dreams alive and well amid a successful stretch with three wins across their last six matches (W3, D1, L2).
Valencia are facing the opposite side of the table, as they’ve won just once in the same six-game stretch (W1, D2, L3) and are sitting in the relegation zone, albeit with a game in hand.