Barça and Mallorca face each other this Tuesday at 9:30 PM, corresponding to Matchday 33 of the EA Sports League. The match takes place at Lluís Companys, the second consecutive one after last weekend's comeback. The match can be watched on Movistar La Liga and the minute-by-minute through our social media @carpetasblaugranas
Miguel Ángel Ortiz will be the main referee of the match, while Javier Iglesias Villanueva will be in the VAR. This season he has already refereed them, specifically once for each team, in which both won. The Madrid native has been present in 16 matches, with an average of almost 2 yellow cards per match (1.91) and a total of 5 red cards so far this season (0.16)
How Barça Arrives
Flick's team recently struggled against a Celta that made things very difficult, forcing them to win in injury time. Madrid's victory against Athletic leaves things the same, four points ahead, but with one less matchday. There are several players on the verge of suspension for this matchday, who, if they see a yellow card, would miss the match against Valladolid: Raphinha, Íñigo, Kounde, and Gavi.
The German coach has left several headlines, one of them directed at Ansu and Fort, as he didn't like the reaction they had for not playing against Celta. Regarding his complaint about the schedule, he didn't want to add anything more, except that they will need fresh legs and give rest even to those who don't want it. Finally, he commented that the match against Mallorca will be very difficult because "they defend very well" and "make good transitions".
Regarding the starting line-up, there are doubts in all lines, as Araujo could come in to rest Cubarsí. Up front, Lewandowski is injured, so the number 9 position is for Ferran, and the question is whether Raphinha will rotate as Lamine did over the weekend. In the midfield, he could opt for a change with Eric García for De Jong and keep Pedri by his side.
How Mallorca Arrives
The Balearic team is immersed in the fight for Europe, although they don't want to publicly admit they are fighting for that challenge. They come from a home draw against Leganés, a point that leaves them with 44 points, two more than Real Sociedad (the first team outside European spots). For this match, they have the same absences as in the previous one, in addition to having several players on the verge of suspension: Larin, Mascarell, Valjent, and Abdón.
The Bermellón coach commented in a press conference that "it's never a good time to face this type of team". He spoke about the importance of being "solid in defense" and those safe passes that force Barça to run back. He knows it's key to be consistent for 90 minutes and that he doesn't believe it will matter that they have the Copa final this Saturday.
Regarding the possible XI, Arrasate won't be able to count on Maffeo or Dani Rodríguez, as both saw the fifth yellow card and won't recover any injured players either. All these absences will force him to make massive rotations in all lines, as he will change a couple of pieces in defense (the full-backs, for example). In the midfield, Antonio Sánchez will replace Dani Rodríguez and in the attack, Abdón will return to the bench for Larin to play.
Match Keys
Darder, General Captain: the former Espanyol player is being the team's compass, especially in attacking plays. In this second part of the season, he has improved his performance, taking control of the midfield and set pieces. He will be the first option when looking for spaces, as the most precise player to damage the back of the blaugrana defense.
Interior Play: Barça will face a defense of 5 again, with 3 very physical center-backs. The absence of Lewandowski could be a problem for Flick's team because the Pole performed those functions of dropping the ball to organize the second play. Additionally, that interior play suffers, as Ferran is not a player to rely on, but rather a player to break lines.
Defensive Errors: against Celta, Borja Iglesias took advantage of many mistakes at the back, which allowed them to take a two-goal lead. Those defensive errors came from lapses and poor positioning, something that, if repeated against Mallorca, could bring the same problems. The starting forward for Mallorca will almost certainly be the American Larin, fast and powerful.
