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E-mail Xinhua, December 3, 2024
FC Barcelona coach Hansi Flick stressed the need for his players to work as a unit ahead of Tuesday's vital La Liga game away to Mallorca.
The match has been brought forward from early January when both sides are participating in the Spanish Supercup in Saudi Arabia and comes with Barcelona starting to offer serious doubts about its play in the wake of Saturday's 2-1 defeat at home to Las Palmas.
Jules Kounde (L) of FC Barcelona vies with Alberto Moleiro of UD Las Palmas during the La Liga football match between FC Barcelona and UD Las Palmas at the Lluís Companys Olympic Stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Nov. 30, 2024. (Photo by Joan Gosa/Xinhua)
That means Barca has taken just one point from the last nine after a 2-2 draw away to Celta Vigo and a 1-0 defeat against Real Sociedad.
All three of those matches saw Barca lose the cohesion which made it so hard for teams to score against it, with ferocious pressure high up the field denying its rivals the space needed to hit effective passes behind a defense pushed up to the halfway line.
Speaking to the press on Monday, Flick stressed the need for his players to rediscover that unity on the pitch.
"The good news from the Las Palmas game is that we created chances to score, but we didn't defend well and we have to improve that," said the coach.
Flick highlighted Barca has a young team and it "has to continue to learn and improve."
"We have to defend as a unit: we said that at the start of the season and we have to remain together," he added.
Flick will have Spain international Dani Olmo back in his squad after he missed Saturday's defeat through injury, while Marc Casado also returns after suspension and Lamine Yamal should be fit enough to start, rather than come on as a second half substitute.
The bad news for Barca is that left back Alejandro Balde misses out after being carried off at the weekend after a collision, with Gerard Martin replacing him in defense.
Mallorca won 2-1 at home to Valencia on Friday night to climb up to sixth in La Liga, with strikers Cyle Larin and Abdon Prats both scoring. Vedat Muriqi will be back against Barcelona and will provide his side with an extra threat from set pieces.
