Three talking points as Barcelona are set to face Mallorca in La Liga | OneFootball

FC Barcelona have been in excellent form across all fronts since the start of 2025, losing just a solitary game against Borussia Dortmund. Despite the non-stop action and hardly any rest inbetween games, the Catalan team have managed to pull through.

Fresh off an unbelievable 4-3 comeback win over Celta Vigo at the weekend, Hansi Flick’s men are now set to take on Mallorca later today as they look to continue their La Liga push. Just a few days later, they also have a massive Copa del Rey final against Real Madrid.

Hansi Flick has decisions to make for the game against Mallorca while keeping the Real Madrid game also in his mind. There isn’t much time for recovery ahead of El Clasico and this could mean some rotations tonight without compromising on the team quality.

With all this in mind, here are three talking points as Barcelona are set to take on Montjuic in La Liga, looking to continue their title push.

1. Rotations galore?

How many rotations are too many rotations? If Hansi Flick is able to find the perfect answer to this against Mallorca, he can find a way to get past their La Liga opposition while also keeping players fit for the Real Madrid game.

Against Celta Vigo at the weekend, Hansi Flick chose to rest Lamine Yamal and it kind of worked out and also didn’t work out. The teenager got an hour’s worth rest but he also had to come on with his team losing and helped turn the game around.

There are other players like Pedri, Jules Kounde, Frenkie de Jong and Inigo Martinez who have had a lot of minutes under their belt in recent times and Flick has to pick and choose who to rest ahead of the important El Clasico final.

It is a very difficult position to be in, as Hansi Flick, but he has to get his line-up spot on tonight, not just to get past Mallorca but also to be in a position to beat Real Madrid. Let’s wait and see how the German coach goes about the same tonight.

2. The Pedri conundrum!

Barcelona with Pedri and Barcelona without Pedri play like night and day. The 22-year-old is the single most important player that makes Hansi Flick’s system tick and in his absence, the difference is clear and obvious for everyone to see.

What this means is that there has been hardly any rest for Pedri apart from the game against Borussia Dortmund in the second leg at Signal Iduna Park which is the only game that Barcelona have lost since the beginning of 2025.

Pedri has had so many minutes on his legs in recent weeks and months and it is not advisable for a player with as wretched an injury history as the Spaniard. Barcelona need Pedri for the Clasico and this leaved Flick in a catch-22 position.

Against Mallorca, Flick has the difficult decision to make – to start Pedri or not! It is not advisable for a team to be this dependent on a single player but that’s how good the Spaniard is and let’s wait and see what the German coach decides.

3. A convincing performance?

The last couple of performances from Hansi Flick’s team have left a lot to be desired and fatigue seems to be taking a toll on the players. The German coach will know that his team were second best both against Dortmund in the second leg and the Celta Vigo game that they eventually won.

It is the worst possible time to fall off in terms of performance. The 2024/25 season is in it’s last lap and Hansi Flick’s team has the opportunity to do something historic that will be spoken about for seasons to come.

Against Mallorca, all one can ask for is for the Barcelona players to understand the gravity of the situation and put in a performance that is convincing. If that happens, the goals are bound to come and the Catalan club should get a favorable result.

A statement performance will also send a message to Real Madrid ahead of the Copa del Rey final about the quality that this team possesses and could give Barcelona a huge psychological boost. Let’s wait and see how it plays out against Mallorca on the night.