The result for FC Barcelona on matchday 7 in La Liga Santander was not the result I was expecting from the team. FC Barcelona played away from home against Mallorca. It was a good opportunity for Barca to take all their points and move further away from Real Madrid and Girona but Mallorca had other plans of their own on Tuesday night.
FC Barcelona was missing an important player in the midfield which is Frenkie De Jong who picked up an injury last weekend and will be out for about six matches. Pedri is still recovering from his injury so he was also not available and Xavi had to rely on Gavi, Gundogan and Romeu. Gundogan is a fantastic player but he has not been at his best since he joined the club and is still trying to adapt to the new system.
Lewandoski was missing for the starting lineup which most people thought would be impossible for Xavi to do but he did it and put Ferran Torres in Lewandoski's position. Barcelona conceded the first goal due to a poor pass from Ter Stegen which allowed Mallorca to score the first goal in the early 8th minute of the first half. FC Barcelona levelled the scoreline in the 41st minute of the first half from an incredible shot outside the box by Raphinha, but Mallorca was restless and three minutes after Raphinha's goal they took the lead again.
The second half was a tough period for Barcelona as Mallorca's five-man defense line was a big problem for Barcelona to get pass-through in the second half. Xavi made some changes which saw Lewandoski, Lamine Yamal and Fermin Lopez being subbed into the match. These three players changed the game for Barcelona in the 75th minute. Fermin Lopez levelled the scoreline for Barcelona and scored his first goal of the season. La Masia keeps on bringing out talented young players.
FC Barcelona pushed to score another goal to take all three points but Mallorca put up a fight at the defense line and Barcelona were held back from scoring a third. The match ended in a draw with yesterday's result between Real Madrid and Girona. Barcelona are sitting in the third place of the table with one point behind Real Madrid and two points behind Girona.
Barcelona struggled because our key midfielders are missing and this is why Goundogan needs to step up because Xavi will call on him frequently and it is also his time to show the quality he possesses. Gavi impressed me a lot. He played well and I see why Xavi said he can't do without Gavi. This Friday FC Barcelona will play against Sevilla who are not doing well for the past two seasons in the league but they should not be underestimated.
This Friday match is a must-win for the boys and Xavi should also be conscious to avoid injuries because Barca has a big game on Tuesday in Portugal against FC Porto in the Champions League. So guys that will be all for now. Thanks for stopping by and have a good day.