Mallorca clearly lacks central defender Antonio Raillo in their lineup, as their unsuccessful start to the season took another negative turn last weekend. Coach Javier Aguirre stated before the match that the defense was learning to cope without the club captain, who was sidelined due to a serious injury. However, this statement did not help, as “Girona” defeated them 5-3, with Abdon Prats scoring a late brace. In the end, this result means that the “Pirates” have only garnered five points in six La Liga matches, conceding ten goals in the process. Barcelona’s visit is unlikely to come at a worse time for their coach, who is under pressure, considering that the “Blaugrana” have lost 13 of their last 14 head-to-head matches, failing to score in nine of those encounters. Apart from Raillo, Mas Carrel, who is sidelined with a muscular injury, will not be available today.
Javi’s team will be the clear favorite to extend their brilliant streak of victories in head-to-head matches, especially after a sensational comeback against Celta Vigo on Saturday evening when they scored three goals in the final nine minutes to win 3-2. This was their sixth consecutive victory in all competitions for the reigning La Liga champions, who have scored 21 goals during this period. Despite this, the coach will demand better performance after admitting that Barcelona was “very disorganized” in their last game. Indeed, there are clear weaknesses that “Mallorca” could exploit, as their defense has already been breached six times in six league matches, following the 6 goals they conceded in 15 matches in the 2022/23 season. De Jong and Pedri will not take the football field due to injuries.
