Barcelona Build Seven-Point Lead Ahead of El Clasico Despite Narrow 1-0 Win

Barcelona managed to secure a crucial 1-0 victory over Mallorca on Tuesday, despite struggling with their finishing throughout the match. This win propelled them seven points clear of Real Madrid at the top of La Liga. In a game where they registered an astonishing 40 shots, a decisive goal from Dani Olmo and crucial saves from goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny were pivotal in securing the three points. The match was Barcelona`s first without striker Robert Lewandowski, who was absent with a muscular injury.

In Lewandowski`s place, Ferran Torres led the attack. The forward line was highly active in the first half, taking 24 shots, with five on target, resulting in an Expected Goals (xG) tally of 1.94. At times, the numerous missed opportunities felt like a `comedy of errors.` However, significant squad rotation was in effect, as the team had one eye on the upcoming Copa del Rey final against Real Madrid scheduled for Saturday, which may have contributed to the lack of clinical finishing.

Key players such as Raphinha, Fermin Lopez, Frenkie de Jong, and Jules Kounde all began the match on the bench. Additionally, Alejandro Balde was unavailable due to injury, alongside Lewandowski. This lineup was clearly not Barcelona`s standard setup, and it showed with players frequently attempting shots from distance. Lamine Yamal was particularly prolific, taking 10 shots himself. Overall, Barcelona directed 13 of their 40 shots towards the target, with a total xG of 3.41. Despite the numerous misses, Dani Olmo scored the winning goal shortly after the start of the second half, which proved decisive.

Dani Olmo has faced challenges this season, including registration issues that impacted his availability and periods sidelined by injuries, limiting his opportunities to make an impression. However, with Lewandowski now out, he is one of the players who must step up and contribute significantly to the team`s success.

A Different Attacking Approach

With Ferran Torres playing through the center, there were notable changes in Barcelona`s attacking patterns. He effectively interchanged positions and spaces with Dani Olmo, creating movements that Mallorca`s defense struggled to track throughout the game. Although Torres has primarily been deployed on the wing for much of the season due to Lewandowski`s central role, this was a positive performance from him, even without getting on the scoresheet. Given the context of squad rotation, the match likely served as a valuable exercise for coach Hansi Flick to test different attacking strategies in preparation for the Real Madrid clash.

The available attackers, including Raphinha, Olmo, Yamal, and Torres, are believed to possess sufficient quality to pose a significant threat to Real Madrid. Creating 40 chances is not accidental, and if Barcelona can generate a similar volume of opportunities in their next match, they will likely do enough to win. The victory over Mallorca also puts pressure back on Real Madrid, who play Getafe on Wednesday – failure to win that match could put the La Liga title race further out of their reach. For Ferran Torres, his contribution extends beyond scoring; his high work rate is vital for ensuring those around him have the freedom to exploit space. Defender Eric Garcia commented that the rotation did not significantly affect the team`s performance, especially considering they managed to keep a clean sheet.

“We still created a lot of chances. It`s one of those games where if one doesn`t go in, we need to keep going, and that`s also what we did for the whole game,” Garcia said following the match.

Looking Ahead

Coach Flick has skillfully managed the challenging task of rotating his squad to protect players while still securing crucial wins. This approach has seen Barcelona win their last two La Liga matches leading into important cup finals in the Copa del Rey and Champions League semifinals. Leaving the match against Mallorca with three points and no new injuries was a key objective achieved, further demonstrating the quality of work Flick is doing in his first season at the helm of Barcelona. He has top attacking talent available, but even when relying on players lower down the depth chart, everyone appears well-drilled in the German coach`s system.

With the possibility of securing a treble still alive, there is significant work remaining. Barcelona have the chance to lift the first of those potential trophies in the Copa del Rey final this Saturday. Their victory on Tuesday also represented another important step closer to potentially securing the La Liga title.

Current La Liga Standings

Title Race: Remaining Fixtures

FC Barcelona

• Real Vallodolid (A)
• Real Madrid (H)
• Espayol (A)
• Villarreal (H)
• Athletic Club (A)

Real Madrid

• Getafe (A)
• Celta (H)
• FC Barcelona (A)
• Mallorca (H)
• Sevilla (A)
• Real Sociedad (H)