Mallorca vs Real Betis match preview and predictions for Saturday’s LaLiga fixture. Read on for the head-to-head, team news, predicted lineups and fantasy football picks as the hosts return to the top flight after one year away.
| Date | Saturday 14th August 2021 |
| Kick-Off | 19:30 (local time) |
| Stadium | Visit Mallorca Estadi |
| Competition | LaLiga |
Mallorca vs Real Betis Preview
Mallorca are back in the top flight after just one season in the Segunda and they’ll be hoping to finally end a sequence of five straight years where they have either been promoted or relegated. A win over Betis would be the perfect way to start their quest to lose the yo-yo tag but it won’t be easy against Manuel Pellegrini’s side who ended last term in the top six.
Mallorca lost coach Vicente Moreno to Espanyol last summer with Luis García filling the position and ultimately it was a switch which worked out for both clubs who finished 1st and 2nd in the 2020/21 second tier. The Balearic Islanders were much more solid defensively than they had been in the top flight, conceding just 28 goals on their way to automatic promotion.
This squad has much more experience to it than the one that was relegated from LaLiga in 2020. Summer signings Jaume Costa and Ángel Rodríguez have spent many years at this level while they’ve also got high hopes for Amath Ndiaye who joins on a permanent deal from Getafe following a successful loan stint last term. It is still likely to be a struggle for Mallorca with the squad they have but with a few more smart additions before the window shuts, they’ll be in a much stronger place to compete at this level than they were two seasons ago. The return of Take Kubo on loan this week will only help their cause but he may not be ready to start this one having featured in the Olympics.
Real Betis were one of the most improved teams in LaLiga last term. They found their feet relatively quickly under Manuel Pellegrini and got better as the season went on to ultimately finish 6th and secure European qualification. Juggling the Europa League and LaLiga will be a challenge and like many Spanish clubs, they don’t really have the resources right now to add significant depth to their squad so a good start will be important before their schedule starts to get more crowded in September.
If anything, this Betis squad is perhaps slightly weaker following a few summer in’s and out’s. Aïssa Mandi and Emerson have both departed and that does raise questions about how strong they are going to be defensively this season. Rui Silva is an excellent addition on a free from Granada but the only other new face is Senegalese defender Youssouf Sabaly who can play full-back on either side, but is unavailable for this game.
Head to Head
- Last 6 Competitive Meetings: 3 Betis Wins, 2 Mallorca Wins, 1 Draw.
- The last meeting was a thrilling 3-3 draw in Seville in 2020.
- Betis have won 2-1 on their last 2 trips to Palma de Mallorca.
- Mallorca haven’t beaten Betis since a 1-0 home win in 2013 in LaLiga.
Team News
Antonio Sánchez is missing through injury for the hosts. Ángel Rodriguez and Amath are fitness concerns but could both still feature.
Cristian Tello, Diego Lainez and Youssouf Sabaly are all unavailable for the visitors. Miranda also may not feature after his involvement in the Olympics.
Predicted Mallorca Starting Lineup:
Reina – Costa, Valjent, Raillo, Maffeo – Sevilla, Ruiz de Galarreta, Baba – Amath, Prats, Rodriguez (4-3-3)
Predicted Betis Starting Lineup:
Silva – Moreno, Ruiz, Edgar, Montoya – Paul – Fekir, Canales, Rodri, Ruibal – Iglesias (4-1-4-1)
Mallorca vs Real Betis Predictions
Score Prediction: Mallorca 2-1 Betis
Real Betis are the favourites but it wouldn’t be a huge surprise if we get an upset here. Mallorca will certainly be highly motivated to start in a positive fashion and newly promoted clubs often do well in the opening few weeks before being brought back down to earth with a few defeats. Luis Garcia’s side won their final 5 home games last season and could just edge out a Betis side that has been a bit of a mixed bag in pre-season and may take some time to gel as a defensive unit following a couple of big departures.
Fantasy Football Picks
There’s quite a bit of uncertainty as to how Mallorca will line up after a relatively busy summer and with a few players carrying knocks. Dani Rodriguez does look a likely starter on the right flank and he’ll be hungry to put in a performance with more competition this year from the likes of Take Kubo. On Sorare, Borja Iglesias could be a good option. He was in fine form at the back-end of last season and is sure to be Betis’ biggest goal threat.
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