Mallorca, fresh from their Copa del Rey triumph, will face Real Betis in a La Liga encounter on Saturday night.
Match Preview:
Mallorca stunned everyone with a 3-2 victory over league leaders Girona in the Copa del Rey quarter-finals. Despite being the underdogs, Javier Aguirre’s side took a commanding 3-0 lead within 35 minutes and held on to secure the win.
While they have a semi-final to look forward to in the Copa del Rey, Mallorca cannot afford to neglect their La Liga campaign. Currently positioned 15th in the table, they finished ninth last season but have struggled for consistency this term, only managing three wins out of 21 matches.
Although Mallorca is only five points clear of the relegation zone, they bring a five-game unbeaten run into this league fixture.
Their home form has been particularly impressive, with just one loss in 10 La Liga games played at their stadium. On the other hand, Real Betis has struggled on the road, winning only once in the current season.
Real Betis, currently in ninth place with 31 points, has also had a lackluster La Liga campaign. Their recent victory against Granada was their first since November, and they suffered a 4-2 loss at the hands of Barcelona in their last league match.
Real Betis aims to extend their winning streak against Mallorca to five in La Liga, having secured a 2-0 victory in their previous encounter.
Team News:
Mallorca will be without Pablo Maffeo due to a knee injury. However, the rest of the squad is in good shape.
Giovanni Gonzalez, who was suspended in the last league game, will return to the starting lineup. Cyle Larin is likely to lead the attack, with Abdon Prats possibly on the bench despite his goal-scoring heroics in the Copa del Rey.
Real Betis, on the other hand, has several players unavailable due to injury, including Aitor Ruibal, Ayoze Perez, Juan Miranda, Guido Rodriguez, Claudio Bravo, and Marc Bartra.
Chadi Riad, Youssouf Sabaly, and Abde Ezzalzouli are currently participating in the Africa Cup of Nations.
Head coach Pellegrini is not expected to make many changes from the team that faced Barcelona, but Nabil Fekir could feature in an attacking role.
Possible Starting Lineups:
Mallorca: (5-4-1)
Greif;
Gonzalez, Valjent, Raillo, Nastasic, Lato;
Darder, Morlanes, Costa, D Rodriguez;
Larin
Real Betis: (4-2-3-1)
Silva;
Bellerin, Pezzella, Papastathopoulos, Abner;
Cardoso, Roca;
Fekir, Isco, Diao;
Willian Jose
Prediction: Mallorca 1-1 Real Betis
Considering Mallorca’s ability to avoid defeat and Real Betis missing key players, we predict a low-scoring draw between the two sides.
Mallorca has drawn 11 out of their 21 league matches this season, showing their resilience despite their low position in the table.