FC Barcelona vs Mallorca: La Liga Game Preview

Games come thick and fast in La Liga, and FC Barcelona are back in action just 3 days after coming from behind to beat Celta Vigo 3-2.

Tomorrow night the current La Liga table toppers will head to Estadi Mallorca Son Moix on the island of Mallorca to face off against Los Piratas who are coming off a 5-3 defeat on Saturday to Girona, who have started the new season in scintillating form.

That result means that Mallorca dropped to 16th in the table having won just one of their opening 6 La Liga games.

With Mallorca often opting to play a defensive 5-4-1 formation, Barcelona will have to be at their best to break down a very solid defensive structure. Mallorca won’t come out and play like did against Girona which left a lot of space behind.

How will FC Barcelona line up against RCD Mallorca?

Xavi rotated the team for the game against Celta and it almost backfired with Barca finding themselves two goals down before three strikes in 9 minutes earned all 3 points.

Danish centre-back Andreas Christensen was forced off against Celta, and it’s unlikely he’ll play tomorrow. Fortunately for Barca, they have two possible replacements in Inigo Martinez and Ronald Araujo. It’s likely that Xavi will elect for the Uruguayan to partner Jules Kounde at the heart of the defence.

Alejandro Balde was rested against Celta until the second half, and he should come back in for Marcos Alonso.

In midfield, Barcelona will be missing Frenkie de Jong who will likely miss up to 7 weeks of the season with an ankle injury. With Pedri still missing due to injury, the Barcelona midfield will almost certainly consist of Oriol Romeu, Gavi and Ilkay Gündogan.

Robert Lewandowski may be rotated considering he’s played every minute so far, with Ferran Torres the likely replacement, but considering Lewandowski has scored in 5 straight games, it’s hard to rest a player on that kind of form. Torres could come in for Felix and Raphinha will likely start on the right.

Projected XI: Ter Stegen, Cancelo, Kounde, Araujo, Balde, Gavi, Gundogan, Romeu, Torres, Lewandowski, Raphina. 

Barcelona hasn’t lost to Mallorca since 2009 and has won 11 straight games against Los Piratas.

Here’s how Mallorca lined up against Girona at the weekend

Rajkovic (GK), Nastacic (CB), Valjent (CB), Van Der Heyden (CB), Costa (LB), Maffeo (RB), Costa (CM), Morianes (CM), Darder (LM), Rodriguez (LM), Muriqi (ST). 

Abdon Prats has only started one game for Mallorca so far this season, but he already has 3 goals to his name, so the forward could be called upon tomorrow considering Mallorca has scored just 7 goals in 6 games. Three of them on Saturday.