Preview: Mallorca vs. Barcelona - prediction, team news, lineups

Coronavirus-hit Barcelona will be looking to return to winning ways in La Liga when they head to Palma on Sunday night to take on Mallorca.

The visitors are currently seventh in the table, two points behind fourth-placed Rayo Vallecano, while Mallorca occupy 15th, five points clear of the relegation zone heading into the next set of fixtures.

Match preview

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Mallorca have won four, drawn eight and lost six of their 18 La Liga matches this season to collect 20 points, which has left them in 15th position in the table, five points clear of the relegation zone.

The Pirates, who finished second in the Segunda Division last season, will enter this contest off the back of a 4-1 defeat at Granada before the winter break, which proved to be their first defeat in any competition since November 22, a run of five games without a loss.

Mallorca will continue their Copa del Rey journey for the 2021-22 campaign against Eibar on January 5, but there is no question that the league will take priority for the club this term, as they attempt to secure back-to-back seasons at this level of football for the first time since 2013.

Luis Garcia's side have actually drawn each of their last four home league games against Sevilla, Elche, Getafe and Celta Vigo, while they are unbeaten on home soil since the end of September.

Mallorca have lost each of their last seven La Liga games against Barcelona, though, including a 4-0 defeat in the corresponding match during the 2019-20 campaign.

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Barcelona, meanwhile, entered the winter break in Spain off the back of a 1-1 draw with second-placed Sevilla, with Ronald Araujo cancelling out an effort from Alejandro Gomez in the 32nd minute.

The Catalan giants have now lost just one of their last eight league matches, with a positive run of form leaving them in seventh spot in the table, having picked up 28 points from their opening 18 matches.

Xavi's team are not in the title race this season, sitting 18 points behind leaders Real Madrid, but they are only two points behind fourth-placed Rayo Vallecano and just five off third-placed Real Betis ahead of the January transfer window, with Ferran Torres's arrival from Manchester City already being confirmed.

Barcelona have serious COVID-19 issues heading into this contest, so it will be a shadow side, but the Catalan outfit are unbeaten against Mallorca in the league since May 2009 and will still be confident of picking up their eighth league win of the season to potentially move into the top four.

Blaugrana, who failed to qualify for the knockout stage of this season's Champions League, are unbeaten in their last four league matches on their travels, but three of those fixtures have finished level, including their last two outings against Osasuna and Sevilla.

Team News

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Mallorca have coronavirus issues of their own, with Jordi Mboula, Matthew Hoppe, Salva Sevilla, Aleksandar Sedlar, Jaume Costa, Takefusa Kubo, Angel Rodriguez and Inigo Ruiz de Galarreta all unavailable, while Antonio Raillo is out with an ankle problem.

The absentees will open the door for Javier Llabres to feature in the final third of the field, but Abdon Prats should again lead the line for the home side.

Josep Gaya could also come into the starting XI in the middle of the defence, while Brian Olivan is in line to feature at left-back due to the absence of Costa.

As for Barcelona, Martin Braithwaite, Memphis Depay, Ansu Fati, Pedri and Sergi Roberto will all miss the match through injury, while Sergio Busquets will be absent in midfield through suspension.

As mentioned, the club also have severe coronavirus problems, with Dani Alves, Samuel Umtiti, Clement Lenglet, Ousmane Dembele, Abde Ezzalzouli, Jordi Alba, Philippe Coutinho, Gavi, Sergino Dest and Alejandro Balde all out.

Luuk de Jong and Ilias Akhomach are likely to feature in the final third of the field, while there is also expected to be a start for Ferran Jutgla, who has scored once in three league appearances this term.

Mallorca possible starting lineup:
Reina; Maffeo, Valjent, Gaya, Olivan; Sanchez, Mohammed; Llabres, Kang-in, Rodriguez; Prats

Barcelona possible starting lineup:
Ter Stegen; Araujo, E Garcia, Pique, Mingueza; F de Jong, Puig, Nico; Akhomach, L de Jong, Jutgla

We say: Mallorca 0-1 Barcelona

Barcelona will be missing a number of important players this weekend, but Mallorca will also be far from full strength, which makes it a fascinating contest; we are expecting it to be an incredibly close match but are backing the visitors to put an important three points on the board.

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