Barcelona vs Mallorca
It’s a tight race up in the La Liga table, as Barcelona and Real Madrid continue to play cat-and-mouse at the mountaintop.
As of this writing, Barca are tied with Real Madrid with 31 points apiece while Sevilla holds solo third with 30 and Real Sociedad and Athletic Bilbao are not far behind with 26 each.
The two-time defending champions are fresh off from a hard-fought win against Atletico Madrid, thanks to the usual heroics of Lionel Messi, who has won his sixth Ballon d’Or award a few days ago.
Barca would be keen on gathering as much momentum as they can since they’ll have a tough schedule next week. They will face Italian powerhouse Inter Milan for their last Group F match in the Champions League before facing Real Sociedad and Real Madrid right after.
Meanwhile, RCD Mallorca are fighting to stay alive in top-flight and they should play like they have nothing to lose even if the La Liga 2019 odds don’t favour them anyway.
Today, SBOBET offers to you some discussing points before this match on Sunday.
Talking Points
Barca peaking slowly but surely
The final month of the 2019 calendar year will be crucial for the Catalan giants.
With teams hell-bent on dethroning them, Barcelona will have the conundrum on balancing between being consistent with their deadly form while staving off injuries.
They were tested during the first stretch of this season. For a time, trouble was brewing in Camp Nou when they slid to the fourth spot at the table with only 10 points which was the club’s worst start in the La Liga for 25 years.
Injuries to Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez hurt the team and it didn’t help when Antoine Griezmann wasn’t playing his best ball at the time.
Barcelona have shown their capability to fight back as they would always win in games following a defeat. They annihilated Real Betis after losing to Athletic Bilbao last August, and they did the same against Villareal and Celta Vigo after enduring defeats against Granada and Levante respectively.
At the same time, Valverde uncovered some young shiny gems in the form of Frenkie de Jong and Ansu Fati.
Frenkie de Jong has emerged as a leader for Barca. The 22-year-old logged 1558 minutes in total and he has started in almost all matches for the squad given Valverde’s constant tinkering on his midfield. He is also enjoying an astounding 94-per cent passing success rate in his 74 attempts which should strengthen his case.
Ansu Fati, meanwhile, has wowed the fans with his oozing potential. The 17-year-old’s unique mix of energy, speed, and ball handling dexterity has made him one of La Liga’s exciting young players to watch this term. Because of that, the club went on to give him a contract extension that would last up until 2022.
Barcelona would definitely need all hands on deck as they gun for a three-peat in this year’s campaign.
Mallorca fighting for survival
Los Bermellones have made an admirable jump to the Primera Division of the La Liga after being relegated last 2017. But their performance so far this season indicates that they still have long ways to go.
They may not be a roster filled with big names but they rely on their team play from their homegrown talents who are looking to bring the fight every game.
Lago Junior continues to be their best attacker with four goals this season. The Ivory Coast native isn’t afraid of the big stage as he can produce some of the best La Liga 2019 highlights against the best of them.
Supporting him are the likes of Dani Rodriguez and Ante Budimir with three goals each. The said duo has formed a viable partnership in the middle and they should continue to get better as we go along.
Team boss Vicente Moreno has done an admirable job for RCD Mallorca’s program over these past few seasons. The Spaniard manager helped steer Los Bermellones’ rise to top-flight and he has done all he can to keep up against the La Liga’s best teams.
Of course, we won’t expect Mallorca to make a huge noise this season. And if somehow they’ve managed to survive from being relegated in season’s end, that should be a huge victory in itself already for their fans.
History
Barcelona have dominated in their head-to-head against Mallorca as they’ve won in 20 out of their 30 matches against them. Mallorca won in six along with one draw.
The Blaugrana are undefeated in their last six home games against Los Bermellones in all competitions since their 3-2 loss back in May 2008.
Betting Tip
 |
 |
Barcelona vs Mallorca | Barcelona Asian Handicap -2.25 @ 1.86 |
| December 08, 04:00 (GMT+8) |
As expected, the Catalan giants are coming in this match as the overwhelming favourites as they’re being placed at 1.13 in the 1×2 market. RCD Mallorca are at 15.50 while a draw is also unlikely at 8.50.
It’s fair to say that RCD Mallorca aren’t expected to win in this weekend’s match, which is why the main concern for Vicente Moreno should be focused on whether the team will do well under the bright lights of Camp Nou.
Barca are loaded with firepower on their attack which would force Mallorca to be on the defensive all night long, so a safe bet should be the defending champions posting a clean sheet here.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR ( ) BETS ARE WORTH: |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
| = €20 (Highly confident) |
 = €10 (CONFIDENT) |
= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT) |
|
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
●●●
CHECK OUT OUR BLOG FOR MORE FOOTBALL STORIES & ODDS
Stay updated with everything sports and betting.
Follow us on social Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
