Mallorca coach braces himself ahead of Barcelona tie – “Never a good time to face Barça” | OneFootball

A day before Barcelona’s La Liga clash against Mallorca, the opposition coach Jagoba Arrasate spoke to the press.

During the press conference, Arrasate addressed the challenge posed by Barça and how it is never a good time to face the Catalans, who will be keeping one eye on the all-important Copa Del Rey final.

What Mallorca coach said ahead of Barcelona clash

With Barcelona slated to face Real Madrid on Saturday in the Copa Del Rey, many are expecting Mallorca to face a relatively relaxed Barça setup on Tuesday.

However, Arrasate was quick to warn that no one should ever take Barcelona lightly.

“I don’t know what they are thinking about, but it’s definitely about winning this Tuesday and maintaining their lead in LaLiga,” he said (h/t Mundo Deportivo).

“Sometimes people say it’s a good time, I don’t think it ever is, but we have to be close to perfect in defence and have the efficiency of Donostia,” he added.

The Mallorca coach went on to praise Barcelona’s attacking game and how they can quickly take out opponents.

“They have a tremendous ability to generate goal-scoring opportunities, they are always a threat, they are even more dangerous when pressing after losing the ball, you have to make those safety passes so they have to run backwards,” he said.

Are Mallorca ready for the Barcelona challenge? (Photo by Rafa Babot/Getty Images)

Although Barcelona will indeed be focused on the Copa Del Rey final, it must be noted that Mallorca, too, are dealing with a series of absentees heading into the game.

Keeping that in mind, Arrasate warned that his team can’t afford to relax at any given point, as Barcelona are more than capable of punishing them.

“You can’t let yourself go; they have five- or ten-minute bursts of attack and very efficient players. What happened the other day is a clear example.

“With two substitutions, they can tie the game in three minutes. You have to defend very well, but normally, in 90 minutes, what happens isn’t positive,” he said.

Finally, the Mallorca coach talked about the team’s game plan heading into the Barcelona game.

“I would like us to be solid defensively and for Barcelona to struggle. It’s the idea you have and you put it on the board, but when the referee blows his whistle, the play is much more difficult,” he concluded.