Barcelona will look to bounce back from a surprising setback when they face Mallorca on Tuesday evening in La Liga.
After a shock 2-1 loss to Las Palmas, Barcelona remain atop the league with 34 points, but their recent form is concerning.
They have earned just one point from their last three league matches, leaving them just one point ahead of second-placed Real Madrid, who now have a game in hand after their 2-0 victory over Getafe on Sunday.
Barcelona, who are comfortably the league’s top scorers with 43 goals, will need to regain their dominance if they are to hold onto first place.
Despite their attacking prowess, Barcelona’s defense has been leaking goals, conceding 16 this season – four of them in their last two matches.
With a trip to Real Betis on the horizon, Tuesday’s game against Mallorca offers an opportunity to recover their form.
Mallorca, meanwhile, will enter the match with momentum after consecutive wins against Las Palmas and Valencia.
The Pirates sit in a surprising sixth place, thanks to a solid defense that has allowed just 13 goals – joint third-best in the league.
However, their lack of firepower, scoring only 15 goals in 15 matches, has raised questions about their ability to secure a European spot.
Still, they are just two points behind fourth-placed Athletic Bilbao.
The clash marks an intriguing contest for Mallorca, who haven’t beaten Barcelona since May 2009.
However, they managed to draw in last season’s corresponding fixture and will look to exploit Barcelona’s current struggles.
For Mallorca, the return of Vedat Muriqi, who was suspended during their last encounter with Barcelona, is a boost.
However, Toni Lato, Ivan Cuellar, Takuma Asano and Copete will remain sidelined. Cyle Larin, who scored in Mallorca’s recent victory over Valencia, will continue in attack, while Dani Rodriguez, Sergi Darder, and Robert Navarro are expected to play key roles in midfield.
Barcelona will be without Ansu Fati, Marc Bernal, Andreas Christensen, Ronald Araujo, and Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
However, Marc Casado returns after suspension, and Alejandro Balde, who was injured against Las Palmas, is likely to be rested.
Lamine Yamal, who made his injury comeback off the bench on Saturday, is expected to start, and Dani Olmo, also an unused substitute last time, will likely feature from the outset.