A Barcelona side that has lost their spot as the main La Liga title contenders this season to Girona, will be looking to get back that spot when they welcome a stubborn Mallorca side to their temporary home, the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys, on Friday.

With just a point now separating them and 2nd placed Girona, Xavi’s side will be hoping a win over Mallorca would temporarily take them back to 2nd over their Catalonian counterparts before they play their game on Saturday.

Mallorca on the other hand have a very different objective going into this encounter as they look to continue extending the gap between them and the relegation zone from the 8 points that they have managed currently.

It will not be an easy task though as Mallorca face a Barcelona side that has improved somewhat from the team they were when the two teams played out a 2-2 draw last September.

Barca, the Most In-Form Team in La Liga at the Moment

Barcelona has improved greatly since their manager, Xavi Hernandez, announced his impending departure as Barca boss at the end of the season, winning four and drawing two of their last six league matches.

As a matter of fact, the Bulgranas are the most in-form team in La Liga currently as the only team to have won 11 points in their last 5 games and they will be eyeing another victory here before switching their attention to their UEFA Champions League 2nd leg clash with Napoli.

With rumours already surfacing that Xavi might stay beyond the season, the players know finishing the season very strong is a great way to further improve any chances of the Barcelona legend staying beyond the season.

Mallorca has bitten the Catalan Big Boys This Season

Javier Aguirre’s side may not be a mid-table team this season but they have not shown that when they played against the big sides in the league, especially the ones from Catalan in 2nd and 3rd on the La Liga table.

Mallorca have beaten Girona not once but twice, once in the Copa Del Rey, and the other in the second meeting between the sides in the league this season.

Aside from that, they made sure to take a point away from their meeting with Barcelona themselves when they faced them earlier this season and they will be hoping they can repeat that on Friday night.

Match Stats

• Barcelona are ranked 2nd in goals scored per match (2.1 goals) while Mallorca are ranked 18th in goals scored per match (0.9 goals) in the league.
• Barcelona haven't been beaten in their last 15 straight clashes with Real Mallorca in all competitions.
• Following their 2-2 draw at the Estadi Mallorca Son Moix in the reverse fixture, Mallorca could avoid defeat in both with Barcelona in a La Liga season for the first time since 2000/01 under Luis Aragones (W1 D1).
• On average, Real Mallorca have allowed 1.69 goals in their most recent away games in La Liga.

You can check out the Barcelona vs Mallorca La Liga game on MSport here:

https://www.msport.com/ng

Prepare for an electrifying night of Champions League action as Arsenal and Porto lock horns in a high-stakes battle at the Emirates Stadium. With Porto holding a slender 1-0 lead from the first leg, Mikel Arteta's men are on a mission to overturn the deficit and secure their spot in the quarter-finals. Expect fireworks as these two European heavyweights go head-to-head in a showdown for the ages.

Match Preview:

The stage is set for a thrilling encounter as Arsenal welcomes Porto to the Emirates Stadium for the second leg of their last-16 showdown. After suffering a heartbreaking defeat in the opening encounter, the Gunners are determined to turn the tide in front of their home fans. Meanwhile, Porto will be looking to hold onto their advantage and book their place in the next round with another strong performance.

Team Form:

Arsenal Champions League form:  Loss, Win, Win, Win, Draw

Porto Champions League form: Loss, Win, Win, Loss, Win, Win 

Team News:

Arsenal heads into this clash with renewed confidence following a series of impressive domestic victories. Despite their setback against Porto, Mikel Arteta's side has bounced back with three consecutive wins in the Premier League, reclaiming their position at the top of the table. However, injuries to key players like Gabriel Martinelli and Takehiro Tomiyasu present a challenge for the Gunners as they seek to overturn the deficit.

On the other hand, Porto arrives at the Emirates Stadium buoyed by a string of positive results in the Primeira Liga. Sergio Conceicao's men are flying high after a commanding win over Benfica and will be eager to carry that momentum into their clash with Arsenal. With star striker Mehdi Taremi expected to return from injury, Porto boasts a formidable lineup capable of causing problems for the Gunners' defense.

Predicted Lineups:

Arsenal 4-3-3

 

Porto 4-2-3-1

 

Out of 3 previous meetings, Arsenal have won 1 matches while Porto won 2. No matches between them have ended in a draw.

Previous matches between Arsenal and Porto have averaged 3 goals while BTTS has happened 33% of the time.

So far this season in the UEFA Champions League, Arsenal have averaged 2.4 Points Per Game at home matches and Porto 1.75 Points Per Game at away matches.

Odds Market on MSport

👉Find the Match Link👈

Prepare for an exhilarating night of European football as Spanish giants Barcelona and Italian powerhouse Napoli lock horns in a thrilling Champions League encounter at Montjuic. With their first-leg battle ending in a pulsating 1-1 draw, the stage is set for a captivating showdown as both teams vie for a coveted spot in the quarter-finals.

Match Preview:

Team Form:

Predicted Lineups:

 

Barcelona: 4-3-3                                                                             

 

Marc-Andre ter Stegen (GK)

Kounde (RB)

Ronald Araujo (RCB)

Inigo Martinez (LCB)

Joao Cancelo (LB)

Christensen (DM)

Lopez (CM)

Gundogun (CM)

Lamine Yamal (RW)

Felix (LW)

Lewandowski (CF)

 

Napoli 4-3-3

 

Alex Meret (GK)

Giovanni Di Lorenzo (RB)

Amir Rrahmani (RCB)

Juan Jesus (LCB)

Mathias Olivera (LB)

Lobotka (DM)

Anguissa (CM)

Cajuste (CM)

Politano (RW)

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (LW)

Osimhen (CF)

Out of 5 previous meetings, FC Barcelona have won 2 matches while Napoli won 0. 3 matches between them have ended in a draw.

Previous matches between FC Barcelona and Napoli have averaged 3.2 goals while BTTS has happened 100% of the time.

So far this season in the UEFA Champions League, FC Barcelona have averaged 2 Points Per Game at home matches and Napoli 1.25 Points Per Game at away matches

Trailing by one goal following last month's first leg in Rome, Bayern Munich finds themselves in a precarious position as they aim to overturn Lazio's lead in the Champions League last-16 showdown on Tuesday.

The Serie A side, buoyed by their narrow advantage, are on the cusp of a first quarter-final appearance in two decades. Meanwhile, the German juggernauts, having made the quarter-finals for three consecutive years, are relentlessly pursuing a seventh European crown.

Match Preview:

Bayern Munich's journey through Group A seemed like an autumn stroll, but their path hit a snag at Stadio Olimpico, suffering a 1-0 defeat. The turning point of the closely contested encounter came with Dayot Upamecano's red card and the subsequent penalty converted by Lazio's captain, Ciro Immobile. Compounded by the news of manager Thomas Tuchel's impending departure, Bayern faces mounting pressure to salvage their season.

The Bavarians' recent form has been erratic, with a mere one win in their last five matches, raising doubts about their ability to defend their title. With domestic silverware slipping away, Bayern's focus now shifts to Champions League redemption. However, history is not on their side, as they have been eliminated from their last seven ties after losing the first leg.

Lazio, on the other hand, entered the clash with confidence, backed by Immobile's crucial penalty. Their journey through Group E was marked by resilience, epitomized by Ivan Provedel's late equalizer against Atletico Madrid. Despite their mixed away form in Serie A, Lazio's strong showing in European competitions and recent victories over city rivals Roma in the Coppa Italia underscore their potential threat to Bayern's aspirations.

Team News:

Bayern will be without the suspended Upamecano, while Lazio's Immobile aims to extend his European goal-scoring record. Both sides will be bolstered by the return of key players, setting the stage for a compelling encounter.

Prediction and Insights: 

Out of 3 previous meetings, Bayern München have won 2 matches while Lazio won 1. No matches between them have ended in a draw.

Previous matches between Bayern München and Lazio have averaged 3 goals.

Coming into this game, Bayern München has picked up 10 points from the last 5 games, both home and away. That's 2 points per game on average. BTTS has landed in just 2 of those games. Bayern München has scored 6 times in the last 5 fixtures.

Coming into this game, Lazio has picked up 9 points from the last 5 games, both home and away. That's 1.8 points per game on average. BTTS has landed in just 1 of those games. Lazio has scored 5 times in the last 5 fixtures.

Find the link here: https://www.msport.com/gh/web/sports/Soccer/International_Clubs_UEFA_Champions_League/Bayern_Munich_vs_Lazio/sr:match:46295665?KMA