La Liga Opening Focus Showdown: Mallorca plays Barcelona at home, suspense of the new season begins

At 1:30 am on August 17, a heavy showdown in the first round of the La Liga is about to begin, and Mallorca will face La Liga giants Barcelona at home Sonmois Stadium. This is not only the first show of the two teams in the new season, but also the wonderful beginning of tactical games and psychological competition between strong and weak dialogues.

Mallorca: strives to break through, looking forward to overturning the Giants

Last season, Mallorca's performance was remarkable. After 38 rounds of the league, he achieved a record of 13 wins, 9 draws and 16 losses. He ranked 10th in the league with 48 points, which has a significant improvement from the previous season. During the offseason, the team made targeted adjustments to the lineup, introducing two players, Pablo Torre (from Barcelona) and Lucas Bergstrom (from Chelsea) to inject new vitality into the team. Robert Navarro, Van der Hayden and Jose Manuel left the team, but the overall framework did not change much.

Mallorca has been in a stable state recently, and has won 2 consecutive victories and both have lost their opponents. In the game against Hamburg, the team had a ball possession rate of 50%, with 7 shots and 5 shots on the right side. Asano Takuma's goal and his opponent's own goal helped the team win 2-0. But it is worth noting that Mallorca's home score was inferior to away games last season. This time, facing the strong Barcelona, how to use the home atmosphere to reverse this situation is the key.

From the perspective of tactical system, Mallorca is good at 5-4-1 anti-counter formation, relying on sideways propulsion and set pieces tactics to create threats. The team's success rate of high-altitude top-square-square-square-square-square-square-square-square-square-square-square-square-square-square-square-square-square-square-square-square-square-square-square-square-square-square-square-square-square-square-square-square-square-square-square-square-square-square-square-square-square-square-square-square However, facing Barcelona's strong ball control and offensive firepower, how to stabilize defense and seize limited counterattack opportunities is a great test for coach Alasat's on-site command.

Barcelona: The triple-champion defends its title, and is determined to continue its glory. As the absolute giant of the La Liga, Barcelona's dominance was fully demonstrated last season, winning three championships in the League, the Western Cup and the Western Super League Cup, showing strong strength. In the new season, the team introduced J. Garcia from Espanyol, while Lenglet, Pablo Torre, Delgado and Beridi left the team. Despite changes in personnel, the team's core framework is still stable.

At the pre-match press conference, Barcelona coach Frick said: "I am very satisfied with the situation in training, and the team is working hard to improve every day. The players are ready for the new season. Last year's triple-winning champion is not the end, but a new starting point. We will do our best this season, and every opponent should not be underestimated. We will do our best in every game." These remarks demonstrate Barcelona's determination to win the championship.

However, Barcelona also faces some challenges. Main goalkeeper Ter Stegen will be absent for a long time due to a back injury. Although new player Joan Garcia has completed the registration on the front line, his experience in La Liga is only 32 games, and the data of 71% save success rate is to be tested in actual combat; forward player Lewandows gene cannot appear due to a muscle injury, Rashford registration is not determined, and the offensive responsibility falls on Rafinia and Yamal's shoulders. In the midfield, De Jong and Pedri were driven by dual cores, but the preseason exposed the potential for a 12% drop in the efficiency of shooting under high pressure.

Historical confrontation and key highlights

Barcelona has an absolute advantage in the past confrontation between the two teams. Mallorca has played against Barcelona in the last 10 times, with only 1 draw and 9 losses. In the last 18 matchups, Barcelona won 16 and beat Mallorca 5-1 away last season. Barcelona has won all away games in their last seven leagues, averaging 2.6 goals per game, while Mallorca has scored only three goals in its last 10 home games against Barcelona.

This game is full of highlights. Whether Mallorca can end the curse of not winning Barcelona for many years has become a big suspense; Barcelona's new goalkeeper Garcia's debut performance has attracted much attention, and whether he can withstand the pressure and protect the goal; Pablo Torre, who was once a Barcelona youth training player, rebels against his old master, how will he perform in the face of his old club? With Lewandowski absent, fans are looking forward to whether the offensive line led by Rafinia and Yamal can continue to be efficient.

Combining the strength, recent situation and historical confrontation data of the two teams, although Mallorca plays at home and is in good condition, Barcelona's overall strength is better. Barcelona is expected to score all three-pointers away in this game and start the new season's defending title. However, Mallorca's tenacious defense and counterattack may cause some trouble for Barcelona, and the game process may be more stalemate than imagined. Who can finally laugh in the focus of this La Liga opening game, let's wait and see.