After Girona, Mallorca also take points off FC Barcelona?
Short LaLiga week for FC Barcelona: Barça were in action in Bilbao on Sunday evening, now the Catalans open the 28th matchday in Spain on Friday evening. They host RCD Mallorca at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys at 9pm – and will be looking to upset the next top team
On the previous matchday, the Mallorcans surprisingly took second-placed FC Girona by surprise for the second time in a few weeks and won against Catalan rivals Barça. Mallorca are already brimming with self-confidence thanks to their previous cup final appearance. Will FC Barcelona also feel the effects? The bookmakers with a German license clearly favour the home side in Barcelona v Mallorca, which is of course not surprising
But beware, if you beat Girona twice, you can also make life difficult for FC Barcelona. What’s in favor of the visitors from the vacation island, what’s in favor of Barcelona, what are the best bets and what is the form of both teams? We shed light on all of this in this preview of the Barcelona v Mallorca match, including betting odds, predictions, betting tips and team checks for both clubs
Barcelona – Statistics & current form
The team failed to capitalize on a set piece and then suffered two very bitter injuries: FC Barcelona’s visit to Bilbao on Sunday evening was not a good one for coach Xavi Hernandez’s team. League leaders Real Madrid and second-placed Girona had previously failed to win their games, but Barça were held to a 0-0 draw by Athletic Bilbao at the San Mames.
Even more bitter than the two points lost were the injuries to Pedri (muscle injury) and Frenkie de Jong (ankle injury), who both had to be substituted in the first half and will now miss weeks of action
Barcelona’s compulsory task Mallorca without Pedri and de Jong
In the end, Barça remained unbeaten away from home, but missed out on leapfrogging Girona into second place and gaining some hope in the title race. A must-win is now on the agenda against Mallorca, but it is unlikely to be a foregone conclusion. After all, Girona and Real Sociedad recently showed just how good Mallorca’s form is. In addition, Barça are missing the heart and creative center of the game in midfield in Pedri and de Jong.
And even if Barça have improved in the last three games, especially against the ball, they have only won three of their last seven competitive matches. In the 3:3 against Granada and 3:5 against Villarreal in front of a home crowd, there were also disastrous defensive performances – coach Xavi will naturally be hoping that these have been rectified. However, the performances in Naples (1-1), against Getafe (4-0) and in Bilbao (0-0) give cause for hope, especially in terms of their work against the ball.
If the Mallorcans don’t score on Friday evening, there are odds of over 2.00 on this tip for Barcelona v Mallorca
Predicted Barcelona line-up:
Mallorca – Statistics & current form
Of course, other betting providers also offer free bets without a deposit. These can be used to take a little more risk – for example, by playing the odds on the double chance X/2 for Barcelona against Mallorca. This can vary between 2.50 and 2.90 depending on the bookie
Since Barça recently failed to score at home against the penultimate team in the table, Granada, and against mediocre Villarreal, a point win for the Mallorcans would be less surprising. Especially as they are brimming with confidence. Surprise team Girona felt that on Sunday, as Mallorca beat the second-placed team in the table for the second time in a few weeks and also pulled off a surprise win in the cup
Watch out, FC Barcelona: Mallorca have self-confidence and nerves of steel
The cup win against Real Sociedad was also a real surprise success and even a real coup, as they did not lose either game against the team from San Sebastian in the semi-finals (0:0, 1:1) and showed nerves of steel in the penalty shoot-out at the end.
FC Barcelona should therefore be warned. Even if it may be a must-win at home on paper, it is by no means easy against Mallorca. Javier Aguirre’s team will no doubt once again focus on a solid defense and hope for occasional counterattacks and pinpricks.
However, Mallorca are usually more uncomfortable at home. Aguirre’s side have only managed one away win. Only three teams have scored fewer points at their opponents’ grounds than the Mallorcans (eight points). So it’s no wonder that the odds for Barcelona v Mallorca are clearly in Barcelona’s favor – despite Mallorca’s cup final appearance and victory against Girona on the last matchday.
Predicted Mallorca line-up:
Barcelona – Mallorca Direct comparison / H2H balance
In their first meeting this season, Mallorca were able to upset the favorites and snatch points from them: the game in Mallorca ended 2-2 at the end of September, with the islanders even taking the lead twice. Mallorca recently proved how to upset Barça, but not how to beat them.
Mallorca’s last win was 15 years ago, in May 2009, the last time they won a treble. Since then, there have been 15 duels and 13 victories for Barcelona – nine of which Barça have won outright. If you predict a one-nil win for the home side in Barcelona v Mallorca, you will usually find odds of around 2.30.
Barcelona – Mallorca betting tip
Javier Aguirre’s team can also annoy and beat big favorites, as Real Sociedad and Girona can tell you – and Barça also got a taste of it in the first half of the season. It is safe to assume that the visitors from the island will be extremely defensive and cohesive on Friday evening, making it difficult for the Blaugrana to create many scoring chances. With Pedri and Frenkie de Jong missing through injury, it could be a game of patience for Xavi’s side until they break down the Mallorcan defensive bulwark.
We wouldn’t bet on an easy victory or a big win for the favorites, as Mallorca are currently brimming with confidence after their recent successes. However, losing another point in front of a home crowd in the dress rehearsal before the important Champions League second leg against SSC Napoli next week would be a setback for Barça – and we don’t believe in that.
We therefore believe in a home win, but it may be anything but easy. It’s more likely to be a labor victory. Therefore, our betting tip for Barcelona against Mallorca is: Barça win, but under 3.5 goals
