Will the Royals seize the moment?
With nine matchdays remaining, Real Madrid continues to trail the league leaders from Barcelona by four points. Although the two La Liga title contenders will face off in a direct clash in mid-May, the Royals are eager to make up the slim deficit before then. The best opportunity to do so may come this weekend during Matchday 30 in Spain. League leaders Barcelona face a tough away match at Atlético Madrid, while in Saturday afternoon’s clash between Mallorca and Real Madrid, betting on the Madrid side seems more or less a formality on paper.
On the one hand, because Arbeloa’s team has shown significant improvement recently and won five competitive matches in a row. On the other hand, however, this is also against the backdrop that Mallorca is currently going through a difficult phase and has even slipped into a relegation spot following their 1-2 loss on the last matchday against direct rival Elche.
It was also their fifth loss looking back at the past seven league games. They managed to secure just four out of a possible 21 points during this period. In three of the five aforementioned losses, they didn’t even manage to score a single goal. Their reliance on Vedat Muriqi, who has 18 goals this season and has thus scored more than half of all RCD’s goals in La Liga, is severe and rarely leads to success.
I am therefore convinced that last season’s tenth-place finisher, now coached by former Bayern star Martin Demichelis, is not capable of earning points against the Galacticos in their current form. Consequently, my Mallorca vs. Real Madrid prediction is for an away win.
Real Madrid is well aware of the situation and the opportunity presented by a win in the Balearic Islands to put pressure on their archrivals from Barcelona, who don’t play until later tonight against Atlético Madrid. The “White Ballet’s” confidence is significantly stronger than it was just a few weeks ago. The Champions League wins against Manchester City have done them just as much good as the home victory in the Madrid derby against Atlético shortly before the international break. If Arbeloa’s squad takes this momentum with them on the plane, there is good reason to believe that the lower odds on a Real Madrid win are justified ahead of the Mallorca vs. Real Madrid match.
Nevertheless, the upcoming Champions League match also provides arguments that, in my opinion, point to an under on goals at San Moix. If they take an early lead, the Madrid side will likely not keep their foot on the gas but rather switch to a more energy-saving, defensive mode. That is exactly why I’m combining the odds on a Real Madrid win with an Under 4.5 goal line to grab an attractive 1.94 at Winamax.
Mallorca – Real Madrid Head-to-Head Record
Looking back at the past ten meetings, Real Madrid clearly has the upper hand. The Royals have eight wins, one draw, and just one loss to their name. Interesting fact: Six of those eight wins involved a maximum of four goals in the match, including the last five. Real won the first leg at home 2-1 in late August. Vedat Muriqi had put the underdogs ahead 1-0 at the Bernabéu, but a quick-fire double from Güler and Vini Jr. within two minutes secured the expected home victory. At the time, however, both clubs had different coaches on the bench.
Mallorca – Real Madrid Prediction
Since early March, Argentine Martin Demichelis has been in charge at RCD Mallorca. Three league matches have been played under his leadership so far. They have collected four points, although they lost what was likely the most important match against FC Elche 1-2 before the international break. On Saturday, they now face the threat of another defeat against a Real Madrid side that has improved its form. The resurgent Royals, who recently beat Manchester City and Atlético Madrid twice, are on a five-game winning streak and are determined to close the gap on FC Barcelona in La Liga this weekend.
I think it’s very likely that Arbeloa’s team will get the job done in the Balearic Islands and bring the relegation-threatened side from Mallorca to their knees. To boost the odds a bit further, I’m combining the away win with Under 4.5 goals. Once again, much points to a narrow and likely lackluster victory for the star-studded squad from the Spanish capital. I’m betting four units on the 1.94 odds offered by Winamax.
