Rival watch: Real Madrid drop points against Mallorca in La Liga

Ahead of Barcelona’s game against Sevilla in La Liga later tonight, the Catalans have been handed a boost in the title race as arch-rivals Real Madrid have dropped more points as they lost 1-0 to RCD Mallorca.

Coming into the matchweek, the difference between the two teams was five points and Los Blancos could have cut it down to two with a win over Javier Aguirre’s side at Son Moix.

However, the reigning champions put in a toothless display on the afternoon, succumbing to a 1-0 loss, with Nacho Fernandez’s own goal in the 13th minute proving to be the difference. Marco Asensio had a chance to equalise for Real Madrid but failed to convert his penalty.

The result means that Barcelona can take a massive step towards the title and increase their lead at the top of the table to eight points, should they defeat Sevilla later night at Spotify Camp Nou.

The Blaugrana have momentum on their side, having strung together a 14-game unbeaten streak across all competitions.

Sevilla, who have won three of their last four games in all competitions, will pose a difficult challenge, having shown signs of recovery under Jorge Sampaoli recently.

But, Xavi Hernandez & co. must make sure to capitalise on the slip-up from their bitter rivals in order to strengthen their hold on the pole position in the title race.