Mallorca vs Real Madrid

Estadi Mallorca Son Moix sets the stage for a lopsided La Liga encounter between bottom-half Mallorca and table-topping Real Madrid.

Mallorca fans had high hopes after seeing their side take an early lead in last weekend’s Copa del Rey final, only to lose on penalties to Athletic Bilbao. Having missed out on a glorious chance to pick up silverware, Los Piratas return to La Liga, where they sit only six points clear of the bottom three after alternating between winning and not across their last five league outings (W2, D2, L1). However, Javier Aguirre’s men have proved they’re no pushovers at Son Moix. They’ve beaten Barcelona and Girona in league action this season while racking up three one-goal margin victories across their last four home league matches (L1).

On the other hand, Real Madrid shared the spoils with Manchester City in a dramatic 3-3 Champions League draw in midweek, extending their unbeaten streak in all competitions to 14 games (W9, D5). Back to La Liga action, where they’ve won their last three fixtures by multi-goal margins, including a thumping 4-2 victory at Osasuna on their most recent road trip, Los Blancos start this round eight points clear of second-placed Barcelona. Delivering action from the get-go, Carlo Ancelotti’s men have got on the scoresheet inside the opening 15 minutes of three of their last four away league fixtures (W2, D2), highlighting the potential for a quick-fire start.