Mallorca – Villarreal : Preview & Prediction
RCD Mallorca returns to Son Moix, which it has turned into a fortress, after a new away defeat (Sevilla 2-0 RCDM). The Balearic squad has linked four league outings losing and without scoring, a dismal streak that contrasts sharply with recent results at its stadium, where it has added four consecutive wins in LaLiga Santander (LL) for the first time since 2012.
Unocerismo: Los Bermellones have won 1-0 in each of those four home victories. Javier Aguirre’s side, 10th and closer to the European zone than to the relegation places, is at this stage of the championship the second team with the fewest goals conceded at home. Considered at the beginning of the championship as one of the clubs most likely to lose the category, Mallorca can dream of achieving a place in European competitions, in which it has not participated since 2003-04 (UEFA Cup).
The supporters will give their team maximum encouragement to extend their magnificent run at home by taking all three points against Villarreal, who are in a serious slump and are in danger of dropping out of the fight for the European places. The groguets, who have scored in only one of their last five visits to Mallorca (E2, P3), have now stringed together three LL defeats for the first time since March 2020, failing to score in two of them.
Despite the 1-0 defeat against Barcelona last matchday, Quique Setién praised the effort of his players, noting that “we lacked a point of inspiration, which they had to win the game”. The Castellon coach must guide his team to improve their poor results away from home; defeated 3-1 against bottom side Elche in their most recent outing, Villarreal have just one win and three goals scored in their last nine away LL games (G1, E3, P5).
Key battle: Vedat Muriqi has found the back of the net in 14 games for Mallorca, nine of which have ended in wins for the Vermellon side (G9, E2, P3), including a 2-0 win over Villarreal (J13). One of those charged with stopping the Kosovar striker will be Raúl Albiol, a central defender and captain who has made 16 career appearances against Mallorca. In half of them, his team kept a clean sheet (G10, E1, P5).
Standout Fact: Only one of Mallorca’s ten home games in LL 2022-23 has had at least three goals. Son Moix is the stadium with the lowest goals per game average in the current championship (1.4).
Mallorca – Villarreal : Betting Tips
Villarreal – Win Odds: 2.25
