Match preview: Barcelona-Mallorca

Barcelona vs Mallorca
Venue: Camp Nou


A Copa del Rey once again in sight. Can we do it after 11 years? Time and again Barca have lost in the semifinals. For a team like Barca to keep reaching the semifinals of a tournament and losing against lesser opposition is frustrating. Mallorca on the other hand won the Copa in 2003 and it is pretty much all they have to hope for this season. Last weekend’s defeat to Osasuna means that Mallorca are now at the bottom of the league table and though the relegation dogfight is far from over the Copa offers them their best shot at redemption.

Teams often count themselves lucky when drawn to play away in the first leg of a knock-out stage but on this occasion I suspect that is not quite the case. Indeed Mallorca’s woeful away form means Manzano’s team may be faced with a daunting task in the 2nd leg at the Ono Estadi next month. Mallorca last won away in the league back in September, their last draw was also in September. In the Copa, Mallorca have drawn all their away games and won all the home games.

Mallorca’s poor form this season is slightly surprising as they do have a decent squad with some very versatile players. Perhaps part of their downfall has to do with the ambivalence of their approach. Possessing promising attacking players Mallorca have lacked commitment in closing down spaces during defense while the attackers have failed to deliver. The result: 21 goals scored (2nd lowest) in the league against 39 conceded (3rd highest) with only 5 goals being scored away from home in the league and 2 in the Cup.

Mallorca’s team line-up is hard to predict with various players being used in different positions through the course of the season but I think the formation Manzano fielded against Barca in the league would still be his best bet to counter Barca’s formidable attack.

Aouate has been preferred to German Lux in goal of late. Josemi should start at right back while Nunes and Ramis normally form the central defensive pairing although David Navarro could replace one of the two. Corrales will play at left-back. Marti plays in front of the defense and Manzano will most likely opt for a defensive minded player in Saurez to partner him sacrificing Cleber Santana who takes a roaming playmaker role when playing with a more attacking setup. Varela could be used in midfield to counter Barca’s rampant right flank while Scaloni will perform the same function on the opposite flank.

Manzano will probably decide that pace upfront to catch the Barca defense out will be his best chance to get some goals and replace club captain Arango with the more nimble Jurado. The athletic Eto'o-like Webo will attempt to spread the Barca defense and isolate defenders while Aduriz will probably start on the bench.

Guardiola has a tiring squad, which with the end still distant is eking out the results in the most tedious stage of the season. While Pep has destroyed all notions of a first and second team certain players like Sylvinho, Pinto and Bojan have been reserved almost exclusively for the Copa matches. All three will almost definitely start on Thursday.

Caceres should get a chance to prove his worth and partner Pique in defense, the youngster's role will be important in combating Mallorca’s agile forwards. Alves’s hyperactivity turned a little edgy in the last game, maybe he is spending too much time playing with his kids. Well, he will have a chance to get some rest on Sunday while he serves out his suspension. In the meantime its back to the grind or in his case tearing up and down the pitch. Busquets will play the pivot in midfield and hope to redeem himself from a slightly disappointing performance over the weekend.

I expect Guardiola to reserve Seydou Keita for the Gijon game; field Iniesta and Gudjohnsen in his 100th game in Blaugrana colors. Hopefully this time Pep will have Iniesta taking charge of the distribution with Xavi anyway unavailable nursing a flu. Messi didn’t start the last match and Pep will be looking for a comprehensive win to take into the 2nd leg so he will probably start Messi in this one and look to take him off once we are 3 or 4 goals up... sic.

I am certainly hoping Hleb doesn’t start or even take the field tomorrow but Henry’s aging legs do need to be saved. Maybe Hleb will do better on the left without the burden of expectation hanging too heavily on him with the portentous Messiah cutting swathes through the defense from the right.

A big win at home would be a great result for Barcelona and Mallorca lack the confidence or the discipline to stand in their way. Mallorca’s all-time highest goal-scorer Samuel Eto’o can watch benignly from the Barcelona side of the bench as an upbeat young pretender Bojan stakes his claim to the spot Barca have invested years training him for.

Prediction : Barca should slice Mallorca open early but the tiredness might show in the 2nd half so I wouldn’t blame them for slacking off after getting say… 4-1 up.

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