PREVIEW: FC Barcelona v Mallorca
Barça are currently on a five-game unbeaten run in all competitions, and face a Mallorca side who’ve won just two in the last seven league games, but those victories came against Real Madrid and Villarreal.
How to follow the game live
The game kicks off at 9.00pm CET. A list of broadcasters can be found here and these are the timetables for the rest of the world:
The Rival
Top Scorer: Lago Júnior (4 goals)
Coach: Vicente Moreno
La Liga record (2019/20): 14 points. P15 W4 D2 L9.
Current form: #1Barça — W W W L W #17Mallorca — L L W L D
Former Blaugranes in the squad: Takefusa Kubo
Interesting stats
Barça have won their last five La Liga games against Mallorca, keeping a clean sheet in four of them.
Barça are unbeaten in their last six home games against Mallorca in all competitions (W5 D1) since a 2-3 loss in La Liga in May 2008.
Lago Júnior has scored four goals in his last six league games for Mallorca, but all of them have come at home.
Lionel Messi has scored in his last five La Liga games against Mallorca (eight in total), including a hat-trick at Camp Nou in October 2011. He has also been involved in at least one goal in his last eight league matches for Barcelona (nine goals and five assists), which is his best run in 2019.
Ernesto Valverde is unbeaten in his six La Liga games at home against Mallorca (W5 D1), with his sides scoring 16 goals and conceding just three.
Last time we met
The last occasion when the two teams played against each other came way back on Saturday, April 6, 2013. Barça were in scintillating form with Cesc Fàbregas scoring the first hat-trick of his blaugrana career, and Alexis Sánchez bagging a brace for a comfortable 5-0 home win.
All five goals were scored in the first 46 minutes of the match, but the game was most notable for the return of Eric Abidal after a year out following liver surgery. The entire Camp Nou were on their feet when the Frenchman replaced Gerard Piqué in the 70th minute.
The Squad
Ernesto Valverde named an 18 man squad for Saturday evening’s fixture: Ter Stegen, Piqué, I. Rakitic, Sergio, Todibo, Suárez, Messi, Neto, Lenglet, M. Wague, Griezmann, Aleñá, S. Roberto, F. De Jong, Vidal, Umtiti, Junior and Carles Pérez. Out due to injury are N. Semedo, Arthur, O. Dembélé, Jordi Alba and Ansu Fati.