Valladolid vs Mallorca prediction: SPAIN: LaLiga betting tips on match 2023-04-08 12:00.
Few would have expected Real Valladolid to take points from either Athletic Bilbao or Real Madrid, and they didnât, but the manner of the two losses (3-1, 6-0) was enough for owner Ronaldo to lose patience with outgoing manager Pacheta. To save their season he has turned to Uruguayan coach Paulo Pezzolano, who helped guide another one of Ronaldoâs clubs (Cruzeiro) to the Brazilian Serie B title in 2022 and gain promotion to Serie A.
Pezzolanoâs resignation from Cruzeiro a fortnight ago, in which he said he was not â100%â committed nor interested in staying in Brazil, suggests this move had been planned for quite some time. His first task is to get Valladolidâs defence back in working order, particularly as it was just about two months ago that they were able to string together three consecutive clean sheets with great reward (W2, D1).
The reverse H2H was one of Valladolidâs 12 La Liga (LL) losses âto nilâ, and Mallorcaâs recent form suggests the visiting side canât do much better than to replicate the 1-0 result. Mallorcaâs mid-table position belies the precarious position they find themselves in after finishing the previous round with the leagueâs second-longest active winless period (D2, L3), including a slate of four snoozefests in which they neither scored nor conceded more than one goal.
Failing to win their last three home games must be a particularly grave concern for manager Javier Aguirre, who now faces back-to-back away trips – as well as visits to AtlĂ©tico Madrid and Barcelona later in the season. With their buffer from the relegation zone now just six points, Aguirre certainly wonât want to have to depend on away points to secure survival, especially after losing six consecutive LL away games, five of them without scoring.
Players to watch: Uruguayan Valladolid defender Lucas Olaza once opened the scoring for River Plate Montevideo in a game in which his new manager was the opposing captain! For the visitors, one of the four goals Mallorca forward AbdĂłn Prats has delivered in all competitions this season came in the reverse H2H.
Hot stat: Valladolid have lost all but one of the 16 LL games this term in which they fell behind.