Mallorca vs Betis prediction: SPAIN: LaLiga betting tips on match 2022-08-19 17:30.
Mallorca manager Javier Aguirre assessed their opening round scoreless draw with Athletic Bilbao as “not a bad start” and considered it to be a result that “strengthens” resolve as they seek desperately to improve upon last season’s 17th-place finish. The draw also meant they’re now on their equal-longest La Liga (LL) unbeaten streak since returning to the top flight (W2, D2). However they now face Real Betis, one of the 11 clubs they twice failed to defeat last LL season (D1, L1).
Facing a tough test here, Aguirre might draw inspiration from Rayo Vallecano’s recent impressive draw at Barcelona, which reminded everyone that LL can be “a very even league”, as the Mallorca boss recently put it. Keeping Athletic scoreless last week would be particularly encouraging, and it is a habit the hosts will be keen to maintain after suffering LL’s worst second-half goal difference at home (-11) in their previous campaign.
Standing in their way is a managerial juggernaut and a man who has long had an acquired taste for dominating Mallorca. Manuel Pellegrini’s personal record against Mallorca (W14, D5, L1) is now his best against any club in the world with a minimum of ten meetings. Having already steered the club to their first silverware in several years (2021/22 Copa del Rey), Pellegrini was part of history again last week as Betis won at home on the opening matchday of a LL season for the first time in 26 years (3-0 against Elche).
Pellegrini will meet Aguirre for the first time in a decade (H2H record of W4, D2, L6) looking for more of the same travelling form that handed his side the third-best LL away record of last season (W9, D6, L4). Further strengthening their credentials is a strong run of seven wins from their last eight league games as travelling favourites, since their opening round trip to Mallorca last season (D 1-1).
Players to watch: After last week’s goalless trip to Bilbao, Vedat Muriqi returns to the venue where he has scored in all but one of Mallorca’s last five LL home victories. Meanwhile, Betis will be hoping Juanmi can finally take his goal scoring prowess back out on the road after his last seven LL goals were all registered at home.
Hot streak: The last five competitive H2Hs have produced at least one goal inside the opening 30 minutes of the match.