Mallorca v Barcelona: La Liga betting preview, free tips and where to watch

Free football tips, best bets and analysis for Mallorca v Barcelona in La Liga on Saturday.

Where to watch

LaLigaTV, 9pm Saturday

Best bet

Barcelona to win & both teams to score
2pts 13-8 Betway, BoyleSports, Coral

Team news

Mallorca
Leonardo Koutris and Lumor Agbenyenu are sidelined for the hosts but Salva Sevilla returns from suspension.

Barcelona
Luis Suarez should be fit to make his first appearance since undergoing knee surgery in January and Lionel Messi has recovered from a slight thigh strain. Ousmane Dembele remains sidelined and Clement Lenglet is suspended. Nelson Semedo is a doubt.

Match preview

The Spanish football season resumed with Barcelona two points clear at the top of La Liga but there is plenty of room for improvement in the leaders' away form.

Barca's 2-0 defeat at title rivals Real Madrid on March 1 was their fifth away loss of the campaign while just five of their 18 league wins have come on the road.

Even a trip to relegation-threatened Mallorca has its perils for Quique Setien's men although they are long odds-on to open up a five-point advantage before Real take on Eibar on Sunday.

The team news should provide a tonic for Barca backers as Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi are expected to be fit to start alongside Antoine Griezmann in a formidable front three.

Messi has shaken off a minor thigh injury while Suarez is back to full fitness after undergoing knee surgery in January. The Uruguayan striker was enjoying a productive campaign before his injury, scoring 14 goals in 23 appearances in all competitions, and his return should sharpen up a Barca attack who, uncharacteristically, have struggled for goals away from Camp Nou.

Just 18 of their 63 league goals have been scored on their travels and they suffered surprise early-season defeats at Athletic Bilbao, Granada and Levante.

Barcelona kicked off 2020 with a 2-2 draw at struggling neighbours Espanyol and conceded twice in the reverse fixture against Mallorca in December.

A Messi hat-trick and goals from Suarez and Griezmann meant they ran out comprehensive 5-2 winners that day, however, and backing Barcelona to win and both teams to score appeals again.

Mallorca secured a dramatic return to the La Liga last season, overturning a 2-0 first-leg deficit in the playoff final against Deportivo La Coruna, and they are battling hard to maintain their top-flight status.

After a slow start to the season, their form had picked up before the suspension of the league. Their last four games include valuable wins over Alaves and Eibar as well as a 3-3 draw away to Real Betis.

Like Barca, they have done most of their best work at home this season and six of their seven league victories have come in Palma. Those include impressive wins over Real Madrid (1-0), Valencia (4-1) and Villarreal (3-1) and Croatian top scorer Ante Budimir, who notched twice at Camp Nou, should lead the charge again.

Budimir's strike partner Cucho Hernandez and wide players Dani Rodriguez and Takefusa Kubo were also in good goalscoring form before the coronavirus break.

Mallorca should be confident of landing a blow against the leaders although Barca's star-studded attacking unit may prove too hot to handle.

Key stat

Barcelona's goal difference away from home this season is -1, compared with +33 at Camp Nou.

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