Saturday 021 La Liga > Mallorca VS Barcelona

At 1:30 am on August 17, the first round of La Liga will usher in a highly anticipated showdown, with Mallorca at home playing Barcelona. This is not only the first show of the two teams in the new season, but also a fierce collision of strength and tactics.

Barcelona: The new journey of defending champion

As the defending champion of La Liga last season, Barcelona retained the championship team in the offseason, and also made strong reinforcements to the front line. Rashford, who came from loan from the Premier League, is undoubtedly a big surprise for the team in the new season. His speed and impact will add new vitality to Barcelona's offensive end. With Lewandowski's fulcrum role, Yamal's breakthrough aura and Rafinia's wing attack, Barcelona's forward firepower is terrifying. Last season, they averaged 2.7 goals per game, which was enough to scare any opponent. Moreover, after a long period of running-in, the team has become quite mature in the passing and control system, and the offense can often be seen with one sword inadvertent manner.

However, the team also faced some challenges at the beginning of the season. The players need time to get back their best form, and the running-in between new players Rashford and the team remains to be seen. When facing a team like Mallorca, which is good at intensive defense, whether Barcelona can quickly find a way to break the deadlock will be a major highlight of the game.

Mallorca: Defensive first, strive to counterattack

Mallorca ranked 10th in the La Liga last season, with a relatively stable result. The team's biggest advantage lies in defense, and it's only conceded 1.2 goals per game, which is not easy for mid- and lower-level teams. Although they did not make large-scale personnel adjustments this season, they introduced goalkeeper Bergstrom from Chelsea to further strengthen the defense line.

Tactically, Mallorca will still use a 4-4-2 stable counterattack formation. This tactic can effectively shrink the defense line and reduce the opponent's offensive space when facing strong teams. But the team's offensive ability has always been a shortcoming, and he averaged only 0.9 goals per game last season. When facing an opponent like Barcelona with strong offensive firepower, Mallorca can only rely on defensive counterattacks, and whether it can create enough scoring opportunities is full of uncertainty.

Confrontation history: Barcelona has an absolute advantage

Looking back on the past confrontation history of the two teams, Barcelona has an absolute advantage. Last season, Barcelona defeated Mallorca in a double home and away game. Among them, the away win of 5-1 shows the strength gap between the two teams. But football matches are full of uncertainty, and Mallorca is not without the possibility of upset. They had tied their opponents in the match against Real Madrid, which proves that they were not powerless to fight back when facing strong teams.

Fights and predictions in this game, the biggest highlight is undoubtedly the competition between Barcelona's offense and Mallorca's defense. How Barcelona breaks Mallorca's iron barrel formation and whether Rashford can perform well in his debut will become the focus of fans' attention. Mallorca, on the other hand, needs to maintain a high concentration on the defensive end and seize the few counterattack opportunities.

From the perspective of paper strength, Barcelona clearly has an advantage. But the charm of football games lies in their uncertainty. If Mallorca can perform at the extreme defensive end, coupled with some luck, it is not impossible to be upset. However, considering all factors, the probability of Barcelona taking all three points is still high. They are expected to make a good start to defend their title in the new season through this game. Let us wait and see and witness this wonderful showdown in the first round of La Liga.