As the 2025/26 La Liga season opens, Barcelona carry the weight of champions to the island of Mallorca — a reminder that defending glory demands the same hunger that first earned it. Under Hansi Flick's second year of stewardship, a squad rich in young talent seeks to prove that last season's double was not a peak but a foundation. Beyond the league, the ghost of 2015 lingers: a Champions League trophy absent for a decade from a club that measures itself by European conquest.
Barcelona opens La Liga title defense at Mallorca this weekend
Young talent improving year on year, yet Europe's prize remains elusive since 2015
Mark
Why does this opening match matter so much? It's just the first game of the season.
Mimi
Because Barcelona are defending champions, and the narrative around them is already written: can they do it again? That's the question that will follow them all season. A dominant win here says yes. A struggle says maybe not.
Mark
Mallorca got demolished twice last season. What makes you think they'll be any different this time?
Mimi
They won't be, probably. But they kept 35 goals out in 38 games, which is genuinely disciplined defending. Barcelona will score, but Mallorca won't make it easy.
Mark
What about this Pablo Torre signing? Is that a real threat?
Mimi
It's a nice story—a player returning to haunt his old club. But one midfielder doesn't change Mallorca's fundamental problem: they don't score enough goals to hurt anyone.
Mark
Barcelona's real goal is the Champions League, right? Not La Liga?
Mimi
Yes. They've been chasing that trophy since 2015. La Liga is the foundation, the thing that keeps them sharp and keeps the money flowing. But Europe is where their ambition lives.
Mark
How much does losing to Inter in the Champions League semi-final still sting?
Mimi
Enough that it will fuel them all season. That kind of exit—dramatic, unexpected—doesn't fade quickly. It becomes motivation.
Mark
Is Flick under pressure already?
Mimi
Not really. He won the league in his first year. The pressure is to repeat it, which is different. But he's earned some credit.
Le Pouls
- Barcelona must prove back-to-back La Liga titles are within reach — something the club hasn't achieved since 2018–19 — starting with a tricky away fixture rather than a comfortable home opener.
- A Champions League semi-final exit to Inter Milan last spring left a wound that domestic success alone cannot fully heal, adding emotional stakes to every match this season.
- Mallorca are no ceremonial first opponent — a 10th-place finish built on conceding just 35 goals in 38 games signals a defensive resilience capable of frustrating even elite attackers.
- The subplot sharpens the drama: Mallorca's new signing Pablo Torre faces his former club Barcelona on opening day, adding personal narrative to tactical contest.
- Barcelona's expected lineup — Yamal, Raphinha, and Fermín supporting Ferran Torres — signals attacking intent, but Mallorca's compact 4-2-3-1 is designed precisely to absorb such pressure.
- The season's opening result will set the psychological tone: a convincing win reassures; anything less invites early questions about whether last year's dominance was sustainable.
As the 2025/26 La Liga season opens, Barcelona carry the weight of champions to the island of Mallorca — a reminder that defending glory demands the same hunger that first earned it. Under Hansi Flick's second year of stewardship, a squad rich in young talent seeks to prove that last season's double was not a peak but a foundation. Beyond the league, the ghost of 2015 lingers: a Champions League trophy absent for a decade from a club that measures itself by European conquest.
Barcelona's defense of their La Liga title begins not at home, but on the island of Mallorca, where the Spanish champions face a defensively disciplined side in the opening fixture of the 2025/26 season. The match on Saturday at 6:30pm BST marks Hansi Flick's second campaign in charge — a season defined by the question of whether Barcelona can sustain, rather than simply achieve, greatness.
Flick's side dominated last season, winning La Liga and the Copa del Rey with a squad whose youth promises continued growth. Yet the ambition driving the club reaches further. A painful Champions League semi-final exit to Inter Milan left a sting that only lifting Europe's premier trophy — absent from the Camp Nou since 2015 — can truly resolve. For now, though, Mallorca stands between Barcelona and a winning start.
Mallorca are not to be underestimated. Despite losing heavily to Barcelona twice last season, they finished 10th with a defensive record of just 35 goals conceded across 38 matches. They've kept their squad largely intact and added an intriguing figure in Pablo Torre — a playmaker signed from Barcelona itself, now set to face his former club on opening day.
Barcelona are expected to line up in their familiar shape, with Yamal, Fermín, and Raphinha supporting striker Ferran Torres, while Pedri and De Jong anchor midfield. Mallorca will likely sit in a 4-2-3-1, with Muriqi leading the attack and Torre threading play behind him.
All signs point to a Barcelona victory — their opponents' attacking output last season ranked among the league's weakest — but football resists tidy predictions. What is certain is that the champions will be expected to win convincingly, signaling to the rest of La Liga that last season's success was not a ceiling, but a beginning.
Barcelona's quest to hold onto their La Liga crown begins this weekend not in the comfort of their Camp Nou, but on the island of Mallorca, where the Spanish champions will face a defensive-minded opponent in the opening fixture of the 2025/26 season. The match kicks off Saturday at 6:30pm BST, marking the start of Hansi Flick's second campaign as Barcelona manager—a season that will test whether the club can achieve back-to-back league titles, something they haven't managed since 2018 and 2019.
Flick's Barcelona dominated last season, winning La Liga comfortably and adding the Copa del Rey to their trophy cabinet. The young talent at the club—players who improve year on year—gives them genuine grounds for optimism. Yet the hunger driving them extends beyond domestic silverware. Their dramatic Champions League semi-final exit to Inter Milan last spring left a sting that only winning Europe's premier competition can soothe. Barcelona hasn't lifted that trophy since 2015, and for a club of their stature, that absence weighs heavily. But first things first: Mallorca awaits.
The Balearic side may have been thrashed 5-1 and 1-0 by Barcelona across two meetings last season, but they are no pushover. Mallorca finished a respectable 10th in the league while conceding just 35 goals across 38 matches—a defensive solidity that suggests they can make life uncomfortable for visiting sides. They've retained most of their squad over the summer, maintaining continuity in their approach. There's an intriguing subplot too: Mallorca have signed playmaker Pablo Torre from Barcelona itself, giving the midfielder a chance to test himself against his former club.
The match will be widely available to watch globally. In the UK, Premier Sports carries the broadcast through LaLigaTV, with coverage beginning at 6:25pm on Premier Sports 2. American viewers can tune in via ESPN2, ESPN Deportes, or ESPN+, which offers both English and Spanish commentary. Australian audiences will find the game on beIN SPORTS. For those traveling or away from home, a VPN service can unlock access to their usual streaming platforms.
Barcelona's lineup is expected to feature their familiar attacking shape: García in goal, a back four of Koundé, Araújo, Cubarsí, and Baldé, with Pedri and De Jong anchoring midfield. The attacking trio of Yamal, Fermín, and Raphinha will support striker Ferran Torres. Mallorca, meanwhile, will likely deploy a 4-2-3-1 formation with Muriqi leading the line and Torre operating in the creative spaces behind him.
The prediction favors Barcelona decisively. Mallorca's attacking output last season ranked among the league's weakest, making it difficult to imagine them breaching Barcelona's defense without significant reinforcement in the final third. The two clubs' previous encounters—5-1 and 1-0—suggest a 3-0 Barcelona victory would represent a reasonable middle ground. But football rarely splits differences neatly. What's certain is that Barcelona will be expected to win convincingly, setting the tone for a season in which they aim to prove that last year's success was no accident.
Citations marquantes
Barcelona's dramatic Champions League semi-final exit to Inter Milan left them hungrier to win Europe's grandest prize for the first time since 2015— Match context
Envie de l'histoire complète ?
Lire l'original sur FourFourTwo ↗
Media & Entertainment