Three key talking points for Barcelona ahead of La Liga opener vs Mallorca | OneFootball

FC Barcelona are set to face Mallorca in their La Liga season opener later today. The Catalan club will be on the road for their first three games of the season and will be eager to begin the 2025/26 campaign with a win.

Hansi Flick’s team enjoyed an excellent pre-season. However, that was just the preview to the main event, and the German coach knows he will ultimately be judged by how his side performs during the season itself.

While it is fairly clear how the coach might set up his team for the upcoming match, there are still a few decisions to be made in certain positions where clarity is lacking.

With that in mind, here are three talking points for Barcelona ahead of their La Liga opener against Mallorca.

1. Flicky-Flacka is Back

Flicky-Flacka entertained one and all last season and made everyone in Europe take notice of Barcelona. The attacking impetus that the side possesses and their ability to never give up earned them a reputation as one of the most feared sides in the world.

The German coach brought the best out of many players in the squad, making them much more potent than they previously were. The likes of Raphinha had stellar seasons, helping Barcelona win the domestic treble.

After a couple of months of waiting, it is finally time for Barcelona fans to get themselves back to Flick-ball. One cannot be more excited to see how the German coach has evolved the system and who takes center stage this season.

2. All Eyes on Lamine Yamal

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Lamine Yamal is the single-most talked about football talent in the world at the moment. Fans cannot wait to see him play and silence critics, while rival fans are kind of waiting for him to make his first wrong step in his career.

Over the summer, a lot has been said about the Spanish teenager. He signed a new contract with Barcelona and was given the #10 jersey. He took the pre-season by storm, scoring goals for fun, and he looks ready for the new season.

If whatever he showed during pre-season is anything to go by, it would be safe to say that Lamine looks an even more potent winger than he was last season. He seems to have unlocked the knack of goalscoring, which will only help him in the long run.

A good start against Mallorca could be the best way to make a statement. Let’s wait and see how things play out on this front later today.

3. Selection Dilemma

Most of Hansi Flick’s starting XI picks itself, but there are a couple of important decisions that he has to make ahead of the game against Mallorca.

In attack, Ferran is expected to get the nod ahead of Marcus Rashford, with the latter’s registration yet to be confirmed. Three out of four defenders pick themselves, but it will be interesting how Flick goes about the decision between Jules Kounde and Eric Garcia.

In midfield, Pedri and Frenkie de Jong are pretty much locked in, but the main question mark comes about the number 10 position. Dani Olmo and Fermin Lopez are the main candidates for the role.

Against Como, the latter gave a very good account of himself and could get the nod. Let’s wait and see how Flick goes about making these decisions and what the starting XI looks like against Mallorca.