Three talking points from Barcelona 1-0 Mallorca | OneFootball

Barcelona moved one step closer to the La Liga title with a 1-0 win over Mallorca last night in a game whose scoreline flatters the visitors.

The first game between the two teams this season ended in an overwhelming 5-1 win for Hansi Flick’s men, and last night’s scoreline should have been very similar if not for Leo Roman’s extraordinary performance.

Dani Olmo’s goal off an Eric Garcia assist eventually gave Barcelona all three points which may well prove to be crucial in the league title race.

For now, the leaders are again seven points clear of Real Madrid and have re-established the pressure on the men in white ahead of their game against Getafe.

Barça Universal brings you three talking points ahead of Barcelona vs Mallorca.

Dominance despite rotations

With the final of the Copa del Rey swiftly approaching, Hansi Flick was faced with the challenge of managing his squad’s minutes last night and he did not hold back.

The manager deployed a heavily rotated squad against Mallorca at Montjuic with Pau Cubarsi, Gerard Martin, Jules Kounde, Frenkie de Jong and Raphinha all starting on the bench. Robert Lewandowski, meanwhile, missed the game through injury.

Despite fielding a heavily rotated side, however, Barcelona were dominant to no end against the visitors in what comes as a massive testament to the squad’s depth.

Eric Garcia impressed at right-back and looked like a natural in the position in place of Kounde. Fort also appeared like an upgrade over Martin and was a protagonist even in the final third with his dribbling.

Gavi started as part of the double pivot with Pedri and did well to hold the fortress with defensive resilience. Dani Olmo returned to the starting lineup and was imperious in attack.

The first half saw Barcelona create chances repeatedly on the night and they racked up close to ten chances in the first half. The scoreline may appear to be narrow, but the game was one of Barcelona’s most dominant performances.

Ansu Fati has still got it

Making an impression. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

The big news when Hansi Flick dropped the starting lineup was the integration of Ansu Fati into the dynamics as he earned just his second start of the season.

Having not had regular minutes for a long time and given his struggles in recent times, there was not much expected of the Spanish winger. However, he was surprisingly fresh and contributed solidly to the team’s attack.

Fati looked much better than he has in recent times and was a burst of energy in Barcelona’s attack. While he did still lack sharpness and pace, his combination of play, movements and attacking instincts gave reason to believe he could make a comeback.

In his 62 minutes against Mallorca, Fati completed three key passes, had one shot on target, two shots off target and completed 86% of his passes. Further, he won one aerial duel and had 58 touches.

Just when it looked like Fati no longer had it in him to push for a comeback, he popped up with a performance that injected serious hope once more. The future may not be dark for the youngster.

Olmo and Pedri are irreplaceable

Barcelona were imperious across the field last night but it was in the midfield over any other department. Pedri and Dani Olmo were the biggest protagonists on that front.

The Canary Islander started and was Barcelona’s best player last night, controlling the game to his liking and remaining absolutely immovable in position.

He was rightly named the man of the match for his performance and should ideally have been rewarded with at least three assists. In fact, he racked up six key passes and completed 93% of his 114 passes and 100% of his long balls on the night.

Olmo, starting in the attacking midfield, was equally crucial in helping Barcelona take all three points. Returning to the starting lineup, he constantly threatened Mallorca’s defence with his runs behind the defence and presence as a false nine at times.

It was eventually the Spaniard who opened the scoring for Barcelona and thus netted the winner with a calm finish past Mallorca’s goalkeeper who otherwise had a fabulous night.

If Barcelona are to go on to win the treble, it is thus clear that Olmo and Pedri will be the two keys.