Mallorca vs Real Madrid

Real Madrid will be looking to close a five-point gap on La Liga leaders Barcelona when they meet Mallorca at the Visit Mallorca Estadi this weekend.

Mallorca fell to a disappointing 2-0 defeat at perennial relegation fighters Cadiz last weekend, extending their topsy-turvy six-game form in La Liga (W3, L3). Interestingly, each of those six matches (won/lost) saw the host on the day win without conceding, which bodes well for ‘Los Piratas,’ whose last three home league outings have yielded identical 1-0 victories. However, Javier Aguirre’s men have often found themselves outperformed by Real Madrid, as witnessed by an underwhelming return of nine losses from their last ten top-flight H2Hs (W1). But they could still be an early menace, considering seven of their last eight league goals scored against Madrid have come in the first half of play, highlighting the potential for a quick-fire opening.

In the meantime, visiting Real Madrid bounced back from a dull 0-0 home draw against Real Sociedad by dispatching out-of-form Valencia 2-0 in midweek La Liga action. But they paid a hefty price, as Eder Militao and Karim Benzema had the leave the field due to injuries and won’t be in contention for this clash. ‘Los Blancos’ have picked up points on eight of their last nine La Liga visits to Mallorca (W6, D2), including a thumping 3-0 victory in this corresponding fixture in 2021/22. But Carlo Ancelotti’s men have alternated between winning (3) and losing (2) on their last five league travels, so the continuation of their impressive form at Mallorca isn’t a foregone conclusion.