There’s little respite for Barcelona amid their domestic blip, with the La Liga leaders next taking on Mallorca on Tuesday evening.
Hansi Flick called for unity after Barca’s shocking 2-1 home defeat to Las Palmas on Saturday which extended their winless run in the league to three games. Real Madrid’s victory over Getafe on Sunday means the champions are now just a point adrift of the Blaugrana having also played a game fewer.
Barca desperately need to stop the rot, but Tuesday’s bout will be far from straightforward.
Mallorca have enjoyed an excellent start to the season and head into this midweek clash sixth in La Liga. Jagoba Arrasate’s side have proven to be a tricky side to play against this term, with Mallorca boasting the third-best defensive record in the division having conceded just 13 goals in 15 games.
However, they’ve also found goals hard to come by, scoring just 15 times, with the bulk of their victories arriving by a slender margin. They’ve taken points off Madrid and were more recently beaten by Atletico, so how will they fare against the vulnerable league leaders?
Here’s all you need to know about Tuesday’s La Liga clash.
Mallorca vs Barcelona H2H Record (Last Five Games)
Current form (all competitions)
Mallorca | Barcelona |
|---|---|
Mallorca 2-1 Valencia – 29/11/24 | Barcelona 1-2 Las Palmas – 30/11/24 |
Las Palmas 2-3 Mallorca – 23/11/24 | Barcelona 3-0 Brest – 26/11/24 |
Mallorca 0-1 Atletico Madrid – 10/11/24 | Celta Vigo 2-2 Barcelona – 23/11/24 |
Alaves 1-0 Mallorca – 01/11/24 | Real Sociedad 1-0 Barcelona – 10/11/24 |
Mallorca 0-0 Athletic Club – 28/10/24 | Red Star Belgrade 2-5 Barcelona – 06/11/24 |
How to watch Mallorca vs Barcelona on TV – UK and US
Country | TV channel/live stream |
|---|---|
United Kingdom | Premier Sports Player, LaLigaTV, Premier Sports 1 |
United States | ESPN+, fuboTV, ESPN App, ESPN Deportes |
Canada | TSN+ |
Mallorca have striker Vedat Muriqi available on Tuesday after he served a one-game suspension on Friday night. Assuming Muriqi immediately returns to the starting XI, Dani Rodriguez will likely drop to the bench.
Toni Lato, Ivan Cuellar, Takuma Asano and Copete are all sidelined for the hosts, but the current quartet of absentees could make their respective returns before the end of 2024.
Mallorca predicted lineup vs Barcelona
Mallorca predicted lineup vs Barcelona (4-2-2-2):Greif; Morey, Valjent, Raillo, Mojica; Morlanes, Costa; Navarro, Darder; Larin, Muriqi.
Lamine Yamal wasn’t deemed fit enough to start at the weekend, but the 17-year-old completed the contest off the bench and is poised to return to Flick’s XI on Wednesday.
Dani Olmo was an unused substitute on Saturday and is another player set for a midweek start, while Flick also has Marc Casado to call upon again after he served a one-game suspension.
Alejandro Balde is a fresh injury concern and unlikely to play on Wednesday. Andreas Christensen, Marc Bernal, Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Ansu Fati are also out. Ronald Araujo is on the comeback trail.
Barcelona predicted lineup vs Mallorca
Barcelona predicted lineup vs Mallorca (4-2-3-1):Pena; Kounde, Cubarsi, Martinez, Martin; De Jong, Casado; Yamal, Olmo, Raphinha; Lewandowski.
The free-scoring Barcelona have generally had few issues facing up against compact defences this term, but they were inefficient on Saturday and succumbed to a defeat as a result. The return of Yamal to the starting XI on Tuesday boosts their chances greatly, but Mallorca will make life tough for the visitors.
Arrasate’s projected 4-4-2 will aim to limit the space between the lines for Barca’s playmakers and shunt them into wide areas. Mallorca’s defensive record points towards an impressively coached team capable of springing a surprise on Tuesday.
However, Barca’s recent domestic blip doesn’t point towards a sustained struggle. They’re merely in a tricky moment and this game is one they need to win by any means necessary. Style points are irrelevant.
Prediction: Mallorca 0-1 Barcelona
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Source : 90min.com