Mallorca and Real Betis will both be aiming to bounce back from three straight defeats in all competitions when they continue their respective La Liga campaigns with a clash on Saturday afternoon.
Real Betis, who are 12th in the La Liga table, suffered a 3-1 home loss to Alaves last time out, while sixth-placed Mallorca will enter the match off the back of a 4-0 defeat at Villarreal.
Match preview
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It has not been a happy start to 2025 for Mallorca, with Javier Arrasate's side losing each of their three matches in three separate competitions, conceding 10 times in the process and failing to find the back of the net.
The Pirates were beaten 3-0 by Pontevedra in the Copa del Rey on January 3 before losing 3-0 to Real Madrid in the semi-finals of the Spanish Super Cup six days later; the team then returned to La Liga action on Monday evening, suffering a 4-0 defeat to Villarreal.
Mallorca have been in impressive form in La Liga this term, though, picking up 30 points from their 20 matches courtesy of a record of nine wins, three draws and eight defeats, which has left them in sixth position in the table.
Arrasate's side now only have the league to focus on for the rest of the season, and a top-six spot is certainly achievable, but their lack of goals this term is a concern, only managing to find the back of the net on 19 occasions.
Mallorca have picked up 15 points from their 10 matches in front of their own fans during the 2024-25 campaign, and they will be welcoming a Real Betis outfit with only two wins to show from their 10 games on their travels in La Liga this term.
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Real Betis started their 2025 with a 1-0 success over Huesca in the Copa del Rey, but they have lost their last three matches, including a 5-1 defeat to Barcelona in the last round of the cup.
Manuel Pellegrini's side have also been beaten in their two league games this year, going down 1-0 to basement side Real Valladolid on January 11 before suffering a 3-1 loss at home to Alaves last weekend.
The Green and Whites have a record of six wins, seven draws and seven defeats from their 20 league matches this season, with 25 points leaving them in 12th spot in the table, three points behind seventh-placed Real Sociedad.
Real Betis have finished sixth, fifth, sixth and seventh in their last four La Liga campaigns, so it would be a huge disappointment if they ended the season in the bottom half of the division, but a push towards the top six is certainly still achievable.
The Seville outfit have won five of their last six La Liga matches with Mallorca, including a 1-0 success in the corresponding game last term, but they suffered a 2-1 defeat when the two teams locked horns earlier this term.
Team News
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Mallorca will be missing Ivan Cuellar due to a suspension, while Manu Morlanes could again miss out with a knee issue.
Head coach Arrasate is likely to resist the temptation to completely shuffle his pack following the four-goal defeat to Villarreal, but he could freshen up the right side, with Mateu Morey and Robert Navarro potentially coming into the XI.
Vedat Muriqi and Cyle Larin should continue as the front two for the hosts on Saturday, meanwhile, with Abdon Prats and Takuma Asano again expected to be among the substitutes.
As for Real Betis, the club are believed to be on the verge of securing the loan signing of Antony from Manchester United, but that deal is not expected to occur in time for the Brazilian to be involved this weekend.
The visitors will be missing Ezequiel Avila, Hector Bellerin, Ricardo Rodriguez, Aitor Ruibal, Giovani Lo Celso and William Carvalho through injury, while Romain Perraud is suspended.
Natan is expected to benefit from the defensive absentees to feature from the first whistle this weekend, while Jesus Rodriguez is likely to earn another start off the back of scoring his first La Liga goal for the club against Alaves.
Mallorca possible starting lineup:
Greif; Morey, Valjent, Raillo, Mojica; Navarro, Mascarell, Costa, Darder; Larin, Muriqi
Real Betis possible starting lineup:
Adrian; Sabaly, Bartra, Llorente, Natan; Fornals, Cardoso; Rodriguez, Isco, Ezzalzouli; Roque
We say: Mallorca 1-1 Real Betis
There has not actually been a La Liga draw between these two sides since August 2021, but Mallorca have shared the points on three occasions at home this term, while Real Betis have three away draws to their name, and we are struggling to separate them here.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Matt Law
