Barça opens its leadership in Palma
Xavi’s men, undefeated, visit a Mallorca that wants to avoid relegation
MADRID, 25 Sep. (EUROPA PRESS) –
FC Barcelona debuts this Tuesday at the Estadi Mallorca Son Moix (9:30 p.m./DAZN) its status as leader of LaLiga EA Sports, which it hopes to defend on this seventh day of competition without the injured Frenkie de Jong and against an RCD Mallorca that needs to generate difficulties if you do not want to be forced into the relegation zone.
Xavi Hernández’s men face the first weekday of the course after “a great weekend”, in the words of their coach, for achieving the leadership after the victory in extremis against RC Celta (3-2) and the defeat of Real Madrid in the Cívitas Metropolitano derby (3-1). To this they also added the renewal of the Catalan coach.
The fifth consecutive victory measured the reaction capacity and the mettle of the Blaugranas, who lost 0-2 in the 80th minute; A double from Robert Lewandowski (min.81 and 85), now ‘Pichichi’ of the competition tied at five goals with Jude Bellingham and Álvaro Morata, and another goal from Joao Cancelo in the 89th minute allowed the Catalan team to come back and take the lead.
With 16 points, the same as the incombustible Girona, they have one advantage over the white team (15) and three over Athletic Club, the other of the three teams that have not yet bowed the knee so far in the league campaign. . Only the debut in Getafe (0-0) has deprived the Blaugranas of the plenary session.
The negative note of the victory against the Galicians was the injury of Frenkie de Jong, who damaged his ankle and will not be able to enter Xavi’s plans in the next matches; The Dutchman joins Pedri González in the infirmary.
Predictably, Gavi, Cancelo’s assistant in the winning goal after coming off the bench, will take his place in the Dutchman’s eleven in the center of the field, along with Oriol Romeu and Ilkay Gündogan, while behind changes are expected before the marathon of games that await the team in the coming weeks.
Ronald Araujo could come in at mid-defence, with Alejandro Balde returning to left back, while Jules Koundé and Cancelo would retain their starting spots. Another Joao, Félix, who provided a luxury assist to Lewandowski in the first goal, will continue to be the top bet along with the Pole and Ferran Torres.
Opposite, Mallorca (5), sixteenth classified in the category with only one point above the danger positions, needs to leave behind Saturday’s heavy defeat in Girona (5-3) and sign its first victory of the season at home .
Javier Aguirre’s men already know what it means to win this season, just over a week ago in Vigo (0-1), but in their stadium they have only added one of the six points that have been put up for grabs so far. To make matters worse, they have not beaten the culé team for more than 14 years, dragging a terrible streak against them of 11 consecutive defeats.
The vermillions are noticing the absence of central defender Antonio Raíllo, who underwent ankle surgery and is out until December, and they have added Toni Lato’s injury to this. The ‘Vasco’ already warned that there would be rotations, which could return Cyle Larin to the attacking line along with Vedat Muriqi.
DATASHEET.
–POSIBLE ALIGNMENTS.
RCD MALLORCA: Rajkovic; Maffeo, Nastasic, Valjent, Copete, Jaume Costa; Morlanes, Sergi Darder, Dani Rodríguez; Larin and Muriqi.
FC BARCELONA: Ter Stegen; Cancelo, Koundé, Araujo, Balde; Oriol Romeu, Gavi, Gündogan; Joao Félix, Lewandowski and Ferran Torres.
–REFEREE: Muñiz Ruiz (C.Gallego).
— STADIUM: Mallorca Son Moix Stadium.