Real Madrid vs Mallorca

High-flying Real Madrid play host to overachieving Mallorca at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu in what appears to be a routine La Liga task for the home side.

Seeking their 35th La Liga title, Real Madrid have been nothing short of outstanding this season, winning all but one of their five top-flight matches (D1), including a stunning 2-1 comeback triumph at Valencia last time out. That success also stretched Madrid’s resounding unbeaten streak in La Liga to 23 matches (W17, D6), the longest ongoing such run in Spain’s top-tier division. Carlo Ancelotti has sparked Real’s attacking game to life, as ‘Los Blancos’ have netted 15 goals in La Liga this season, on an average of 3.00 per game. Overwhelming favorites to keep their form curve on the upward trajectory, ‘Los Merengues’ have outplayed Mallorca in all of their last five top-flight H2Hs in the capital by an aggregate scoreline of 13-3, registering three clean sheets in the process.

In the meantime, the visitors have enjoyed a decent returning La Liga campaign so far, suffering just one defeat in five league matches (W2, D2), courtesy of a 2-0 away loss to Athletic Bilbao a fortnight ago. Since a 1-1 draw with Real Betis on the opening weekend, each of Mallorca’s four subsequent La Liga outings has seen one or both sides fail to get on the scoresheet in matches garnering under 2.5 total goals. A return of three clean sheets from their first five games of a new La Liga season equals their best such start since 2010/11. But ‘Los Piratas’ face a daunting prospect of replicating that feat here as they meet a side that has beaten them in the top-flight on more occasions (37) than any other club.