Chapter 191: Qualification Secured Two Rounds Early!

With a dominant 3-0 home victory over Sevilla, Mallorca's points tally reached 50, keeping them firmly at the top of La Liga. Valencia had now moved into second place, trailing by three points. Behind them were Real Madrid with 46 points, Real Betis with 45, Deportivo La Coruña with 44, and Barcelona with 43. Celta Vigo and Athletic Bilbao were also in the mix with 42 points each. Even Tenerife, at the bottom of the table, had 27 points—this season's La Liga competition was fiercer than ever.

There were several reasons for this intensity: underdog teams were fighting hard, top teams were distracted by European competitions, and key player acquisitions had strengthened squads. In such a highly competitive environment, only the strongest would prevail.

After defeating Sevilla, Mallorca remained at home to rest and prepare for the visit of Nantes. Their next two Champions League matches were both at home—first against Nantes, then against Bayern. If they performed well in these two games, qualification would be all but secured.

With just one point from three matches, Nantes had almost no hope of advancing. For this match, José had one clear demand: a win to secure qualification early.

If Mallorca beat Nantes and Boavista failed to defeat Bayern, they would qualify ahead of schedule. Currently, Boavista had only three points, while Mallorca had seven. Given that Mallorca had previously beaten Boavista 3-0 at home, even if Boavista managed a draw against Bayern, they would still trail Mallorca by six points. To qualify, they would have to hope Mallorca lost their remaining two games while also defeating them by at least three goals in the final match—an almost impossible scenario. Moreover, it was questionable whether Boavista could even win away at Bayern.

Unlike their last league match, where Mallorca had clearly conserved energy—a decision that had impressed the Spanish media—José fielded a fully rested squad against Nantes. Most coaches, after four winless games, would have prioritized winning the league match, but José had benched Motta, Rufete, and Jorge, ensuring they were fresh for this crucial Champions League clash. Those rested players became the difference-makers in this game.

In the 18th minute, Rufete scored a brilliant goal. Ronaldinho collected the ball centrally, beat his marker, and threaded a pass to the onrushing Rufete. Normally not known for dribbling past defenders, Rufete executed a feint to pass before cutting inside, wrong-footing the defender, and bursting into the box. Spotting the goalkeeper positioned slightly forward, he executed a perfect lob that soared over the keeper's head, clipping the intersection of the far post and crossbar before nestling into the net.

"Francisco Rufete! What a stunning goal! A precise, cruise-missile-like lob!" the commentator roared. "That's Rufete's fifth goal for Mallorca this season across all competitions. While he doesn't score often, he's an essential part of Mallorca's midfield. Listen to the crowd! Rufete has been outstanding this season!"

Perhaps Novoa's goal in the previous match had motivated Rufete. Since joining Mallorca, he hadn't scored frequently, but while he wasn't expected to be a prolific scorer, he still wanted to prove he could do more than just cross and create chances.

José smiled. Internal competition within the squad was normal, but as long as it remained positive, it was beneficial. Players striving to outperform each other on the pitch was far preferable to conflicts off the field.

After conceding, Nantes launched an aggressive response. Their efforts paid off in the 28th minute when forward Da Rocha capitalized on a close-range opportunity to level the score.

Before the match, the Nantes coach had encouraged his players to approach the Champions League with a "joyful" mindset. They certainly found joy in their equalizer—but that joy was short-lived. Just two minutes later, Ronaldinho threaded a through ball to Eto'o, who broke past the defense and squared the ball across goal for Luque to tap in, restoring Mallorca's lead.

Luque embraced Eto'o in celebration. While Luque believed he deserved to be the team's main striker, he had no issues with Eto'o, who was not a selfish player.

This goal highlighted Eto'o's team-first mentality. Despite having a decent shooting angle, he opted for a pass that created a guaranteed goal.

José was pleased. He couldn't understand why, in his future at Barcelona, Eto'o had once snatched a teammate's shot for himself—Maxi López being the unlucky victim. But the Eto'o he saw now was a striker who also assisted and sacrificed for the team.

Then again, José reasoned, everyone has different sides to their personality. A player might be selfless in one situation and more selfish in another—it was all part of the game.

At halftime, José emphasized more combination play in attack. Defensively, he wasn't too concerned, as Nantes lacked the offensive firepower to trouble Mallorca's backline significantly.

After the restart, Mallorca maintained control. Rufete and Ronaldinho orchestrated attacks, while Motta's midfield presence continued to pose a threat.

In the 61st minute, Motta surged forward and played a precise pass to the wing. Jorge, making a late run, received the ball, dribbled past his marker, and whipped in a cross—not into the box, but towards the edge of the penalty area.

Kaladze, arriving late, controlled the ball and struck a thunderous shot from distance. The ball rocketed into the top corner, leaving the goalkeeper helpless.

This marked Kaladze's second consecutive game with a goal—a rare feat for the defensive-minded player. Last season, he had scored just three times across all competitions, and now he had already matched that tally. More importantly, this was his first-ever Champions League goal.

After Mallorca's third goal, the floodgates opened.

In the 78th minute, Eto'o was brought down in the box, and Ronaldinho coolly converted the penalty to make it 4-1.

Just two minutes later, Ivan Klasnić, who had just come on as a substitute, scored with his first touch. Receiving a pass from Motta at the edge of the box, the Croatian turned and unleashed a shot that curled into the top corner—5-1.

It was a resounding victory, and every Mallorca fan celebrated wildly. This win pushed Mallorca's points tally to 10, virtually guaranteeing qualification. Now, all eyes turned to the other game in the group.

As the team finished celebrating, José turned and asked, "What's the score in the other match?"

Though he didn't specify, everyone knew he meant the Bayern-Boavista game.

Nátar shook his head. "Still 0-0."

Boavista couldn't afford to lose. As a result, they were playing ultra-defensively, hoping to either steal a win or hold on for a draw. Their best-case scenario was a Mallorca loss to Bayern, followed by a win over Nantes, and then a three-goal victory over Mallorca in the final match.

It was an extremely unlikely scenario—but still a hope.

José shrugged. Ideally, Bayern would beat Boavista, ensuring both teams qualified. But even if Boavista held on, he was confident that Mallorca, even with rotated squads, wouldn't lose both remaining games.

They only needed one more point.

Even with qualification secured, José still wanted a draw against Bayern to ensure Mallorca topped the group. The final match would then be an opportunity for squad rotation.

The Mallorca fans had also turned their attention to the Bayern-Boavista match. Many had their radios pressed to their ears, waiting for an update.

They didn't have to wait long.

Two minutes later, a fan jumped up, shouting, "Effenberg passes wide, Lizarazu overlaps… Cross! Santa Cruz! Santa Cruz! Santa Cruz! The Paraguayan heads it in! Bayern lead 1-0!"

The stadium erupted in celebration.

With this result, Bayern and Mallorca would both qualify two rounds early. Bayern had six points over Boavista and the head-to-head advantage, ensuring their place in the knockout rounds. This meant they could shift focus back to their domestic league.

As the final whistle blew, the score in Germany remained unchanged. Mallorca fans roared in celebration—qualification was secured!

And they had done it with two games to spare!

For a club debuting in the Champions League, reaching the knockout stages at the first attempt was a remarkable achievement.

José and Nátar exchanged a glance, the joy evident in their eyes.

For Nátar, this meant Mallorca would be competing in the Champions League knockout rounds.

For José, it meant something more—prize money. The revenue from the knockout rounds was enormous, potentially equaling the earnings from the group stage.

More money meant a brighter future for Mallorca.

As the fans celebrated, José allowed himself a smile. The journey was just beginning.