Barcelona, with Lionel Messi starting and Luis Suarez on the bench, face Mallorca on Saturday as La Liga action returns after a three-month break due to the coronavirus pandemic in a late kickoff to beat the heat. Barca enters the day in first place with a two-point lead over Real Madrid, and a victory here would move them five points clear before Madrid's game on Sunday. On the other side, it's almost crunch time for Mallorca. The club is in the relegation zone with 25 points but with safety just a point away.
Here's how you can watch the match and what to know:
Viewing information
- Date: Saturday, June 13
- Time: 4 p.m. ET
- Location: Iberostar Estadi -- Mallorca, Spain
- TV: beIN Sports
- Live stream: fuboTV (Try for free)
- Odds: Barca -350; Draw +500; Mallorca +1000 (via William Hill Sportsbook)
Storylines
Barcelona: All eyes will be on Messi and Luis Suarez here with both returning from injury. Messi picked up a thigh knock ahead of play resuming and has trained with the first team since Monday, which means he will probably play. Suarez picked up a knee injury in January that was going to see him miss the majority of what remained of the season, but the break allowed him time to heal and he'll be available for selection.
Mallorca: Looking at the schedule, this is a game Mallorca didn't expect to get anything from. Because of that, anything here is just an added bonus. What will be needed is 90 minutes of defense, constant pressure in the defensive third and holding a very deep backline. Combined with a little good fortune in attack, Mallorca could take something from this game.
Prediction
Barcelona's attack does the job early with clinical passing giving the team the chances it needs to win comfortably. Pick: Barca 3, Mallorca 0.
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