The five tactical keys to Blaugrana's league debut at Son Moix

Barça will begin their defense of their La Liga title at Son Moix against Mallorca , aiming to maintain the same sensations they had in preseason, and especially last season. They're facing one of the teams that has strengthened the most in this transfer window: Mallorca. Here are my key points for this match:

1- The first official eleven without Iñigo Martínez

The unexpected and surprising absence of Iñigo Martínez opens the door for one of the defensive positions. In the first lineup after the center-back's departure, Flick opted for Ronald Araújo, and it seems this will be the German coach's choice. Whether the Uruguayan stays in the position for a longer or shorter period of time will depend on his performance. He is very dominant in defending the penalty area and in duels, but he will need to improve some aspects of his defensive fundamentals, such as reading the offside line and, especially, releasing the ball so that opponents don't float him as a strategy. From my point of view, Andreas Christensen and, above all, Eric Garcia would be the best partner for Cubarsí because the introduction of one of them wouldn't mean the 18-year-old center-back has to change his profile to the left. That said, and taking into account this afternoon's opponent and Muriqi's strength in the air, the Uruguayan center-back is the one with the best chance of occupying a place in the starting eleven given the context of the match. It will be interesting to see how the right and left center-back positions evolve in Flick's Barça in 2025/2026.

2- Fermín and the '10' position

Another key point of the match is the third midfielder this afternoon. Gamper's performance prioritizes Fermín López, who, whenever he has the opportunity, performs at an extraordinary level. His depth, coming from behind, and his shot from outside can be very important against an opponent who, when they set out to defend, do so without retreating and with great accuracy. That said, we must also pay close attention to his movements off the ball because, based on what we've seen during preseason, this season's attacking midfielder will also have the responsibility of deflecting Lamine Yamal from the edge of the box.

3- Attack with depth

Jagoba Arrasate's Mallorca team always presses well and strives to play high. It's possible that, against Barça, they'll drop their block slightly, but not beyond the midfield. This means Barça will have space behind the Balearic team's defensive line. If this situation arises, it's important for the players most adept at breaking into space to exploit this aspect. Therefore, it will be a very favorable match for Raphinha and a scenario in which Ferran Torres (also Rashford or Fermín) can take advantage. All three will certainly get minutes, but, a priori, the Valencian and the youth player will be the ones who start. It will be interesting to see if Ferran and Raphinha coincide at any point in the match and how the spaces and positions are distributed.

4- The exterior of Lamine

Following on from the previous point, and with room to play balls behind Mallorca's defense, Lamine Yamal's wide pass in front of opponents can be a very important technical gesture. Indeed, Barça's new No. 10 provided two assists last season against Mallorca at Son Moix (a great piece of work by Leo Román prevented the Blaugrana star from completing another in the second leg). No one should be surprised if he brings out this fantastic technique again today.

5- Pablo Torre, Muriqi and Mateo Joseph

One of the highlights this afternoon will be seeing a player who has just left Barça as an opponent. Pablo Torre has been one of the Balearic team's main reinforcements. He's playing as an attacking midfielder in the 4-2-3-1 and as a central midfielder in the 5-3-2. This preseason, he's combined starts with second-half substitutions, but the one who most defines the Balearic team's style is Verat Muriqi. The powerful and burly center forward won the most duels last season , so Barça's defense will need to be very efficient in these duels. He's also a player who knows what to do with the ball at his feet. He'll undoubtedly be someone to keep a close eye on when he's in the final third. Also keep a close eye on Mateo Joseph, who has been a huge transfer for Mallorca. The young forward, who arrived from Leeds, is one of the most promising attackers on the national scene. A very powerful, versatile player with a great sense of smell and a tremendous ability to finish in any situation. He won't be a starter because he has barely trained with the group, but his presence in the final part of the match is guaranteed. His last twenty or twenty-five minutes could be damaging if Barça isn't focused and active in defense.