Defending La Liga champions Barcelona will look to kick-start the 2025/26 season with a win when they hit the road to face RCD Mallorca.
Hansi Flick’s Barcelona were a dominant force in La Liga last season, and they will be eyeing a perfect start when they square up against RCD Mallorca at Son Moix on Saturday night.
Mallorca had a decent 2024/25 campaign as they finished 10th on the table with 48 points in their 38 outings. Los Piratas went through a rough patch towards the very end as they won just one out of their last seven league outings. The poor run towards the end harmed their chances of securing a European spot.
Jagoba Arrasate’s men will be hoping to kick-start the new season with all three points, but it certainly won’t be easy, as they lost both home and away to Hansi Flick’s team last season. Mallorca have been winless in their last 18 outings against the Catalan giants, and they will have to punch above their weight to get a positive result.
Meanwhile, Barcelona were a dominant force in La Liga as they finished top of the table with 88 points in their 38 outings. Hansi Flick’s charges were four points clear of second-placed Real Madrid in the end. The Blaugrana had the best attack in the division as they ended up scoring 102 league goals.
Given the kind of run they were on last season, Flick’s team will certainly look to defend the league title, but it won’t be that straightforward, as both Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid will rival them, having reinforced their squads this summer. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.
Team News & Tactics
RCD Mallorca
The home team are expected to be without the services of Samu Costa because of a knee injury. Apart from the Portuguese midfielder, everyone else should be available for selection, making things difficult for coach Arrasate.
Pablo Torre will be making his RCD Mallorca debut against former club Barcelona, while Vedat Muriqi should get the nod in the final third. The hosts will line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, where Leo Roman will be in goal.
Mateu Morey and Johan Mojica will feature as the full-backs, while skipper Antonio Raillo will partner with Martin Valjent in the heart of the defence. In the centre of the park, Manu Morlanes will start alongside Omar Mascarell.
The duo will form the double pivot in front of the backline. They will look to shield the backline and ensure the Barcelona midfielders do not dominate the proceedings. Sergi Darder will take up the number ten role, while Takuma Asano and Torre will feature on the flanks, providing much-needed width to their attacks. Vedat Muriqi will lead the line for the hosts.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Roman; Morey, Raillo, Valjent, Mojica; Morlanes, Mascarell; Asano, Darder, Torre; Muriqi
Mallorca vs Barcelona Predicted XI
Barcelona
Marc-Andre ter Stegen will be unavailable for a while because of a long-term back injury. It has helped them register Joan Garcia, who could end up making his debut for Barcelona against RCD Mallorca this weekend.
Meanwhile, Dani Olmo and Robert Lewandowski’s availability is a major doubt. Marcus Rashford, Roony Bardghji, Gerard Martin, Marc Bernal and Wojciech Szczesny are expected to play no part in this fixture, as they haven’t been registered yet.
Flick will certainly stick with the 4-2-3-1 formation, where Garcia is expected to be in goal. Jules Kounde and Alejandro Balde will feature as the full-backs, while Ronald Araujo will pair up with Pau Cubarsi in the heart of the defence.
In the centre of the park, Pedri will start alongside Frenkie de Jong. The duo will be shielding the backline and ensuring they control the tempo of the game. Fermin Lopez should take up the number ten role, while Lamine Yamal and Raphinha will take charge on the flanks. With Lewandowski a doubt and Rashford not registered, Ferran Torres should spearhead the Barcelona attack against RCD Mallorca.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Garcia; Kounde, Araujo, Cubarsi, Balde; Pedri, De Jong; Yamal, Fermin, Raphinha; Torres
Mallorca vs Barcelona Predicted XI
Key Stats
Barcelona have an exceptional track record against RCD Mallorca, having won 29 out of their last 40 games.
Mallorca have lost 42 league games against Barcelona; they have suffered more defeats only against Real Madrid.
Since the turn of the century, Barcelona have won 14 away games against Mallorca in La Liga. Their best away record against any opponent in this period.
Mallorca have been winless in their last 18 games against the Catalan giants.
In the last 16 years, Barcelona have lost their opening La Liga game just once. Their only defeat came at the hands of Athletic Bilbao in 2019.
Player to Watch
Lamine Yamal
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Yamal is already one of the best attackers in the world. The 18-year-old was one of their standout performers last season, finishing with 18 goals and 25 assists in 55 outings. The Spanish international played a massive part in Barcelona’s dominant league run.
The young winger will be eager to build on those performances and take his game to the next level, with Flick hoping he can have a similar impact this season. While Mallorca will be wary of the threat he possesses, they might still struggle to keep him quiet.
Prediction
RCD Mallorca 0-3 Barcelona
Barcelona will head into this fixture as clear favourites, given their dominance over Mallorca in recent years and the quality within their ranks. Hansi Flick’s men were relentless in attack last season, finishing with over 100 goals, and even with Robert Lewandowski’s availability in doubt, they have enough firepower with Yamal, Raphinha and Ferran Torres to trouble the hosts.
The Catalan giants are expected to dictate possession from the outset, pinning Mallorca deep in their half and forcing them to rely on counters through Asano and Muriqi. The home team will look to frustrate Barcelona by staying compact and hitting them on the break, but their poor recent record against the champions does not inspire much confidence.
Given the gulf in quality and momentum carried over from last season, Barcelona should start their title defence in style with a comfortable win. The Hard Tackle predicts an easy 3-0 win for Flick’s team.