La Liga returns on March 8 with an exciting matchup between Barcelona and Mallorca. Going into the business end of the season, it is pivotal that every team give their all to ensure that they finish off the season strong. Barcelona is in third with little hope of winning the title, and Mallorca is in 15th, looking safe from relegation. Both teams will fight for a strong finish in the 11 games left.
Barcelona
Barcelona hasn’t lost a single game in its last five against Mallorca. In all competitions, Barcelona has only managed two wins and three draws in their last five games. While it has been in shaky form at times, Barcelona has a lot of quality in its squad and is perfectly poised to finish in a Champions League spot next year.
Barcelona Team News
Barcelona has a few injured players, including Frenkie de Jong and Pedri, who may need surgery, which would rule him out for the rest of the season. Ferran Torres, Alejandro Balde, Gavi, and Marcos Alonso are also injured. Ronald Araujo is also unavailable due to an accumulation of yellow cards. With so many players out, Barcelona will have to turn to some of the younger talents who don’t feature as often.
Probable Lineup
The Barcelona boss will use a 4-3-3 shape with Ter Stegen in goal. The backline will consist of Cancelo and Kounde as the wingbacks, with a center-back pairing of Inigo Martinez and Cubarsi. The midfield trio will be Gundogan, Christiensen, and Fermin Lopez. Robert Lewandowski will occupy the central striker role, with Raphina and Lamine Yamal on either side of him as the wingers.
Mallorca
Mallorca has won two out of their last five games. Other results include a loss and two draws. They have only managed a draw in their last five matches against Barcelona, with the rest being losses. A statistic like that makes it challenging to see Mallorca come away with anything from this match.
Mallorca Team News
Mallorca’s Pablo Maffeo remains unavailable due to his knee injury. Omar Mascarell is also unavailable for selection, as he is suspended for an accumulation of yellow cards. Besides these absentees, Mallorca will have a full-strength squad, which gives them an advantage against a Barcelona side with so many players unavailable.
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Mallorca will line up in a 5-3-2 formation, with Rajkovic as the shot-stopper between the sticks. The backline will have Gonzalez and Lato as the wingbacks. Copic, Raillo, and Valjent will be the three center-backs. Mallorca will have Samu Costa, Dani Rodriguez, and Antonio Sanchez in midfield. The striker duo will be Muirqi and Larin.
Conclusion
With 11 matches left in the season, Barcelona is one point behind Girona in second and eight points behind Real Madrid in first. They could make a final title charge. This title charge could start with Barcelona getting back into winning ways against Mallorca.