Villarreal vs Mallorca prediction: SPAIN: LaLiga betting tips on match 2024-01-19 15:15.
While not in any immediate danger of dropping into the relegation zone, both Villarreal and Mallorca know the importance of this clash, with any potential winner likely to lengthen their cushion to the drop. Having finished fifth last season, Villarreal will feel somewhat despondent to find themselves in such a position, and on the back of four defeats from five La Liga games (W1), it’s easy to see why they’re struggling.
Their home form has at least been a little healthier, with just one defeat from their last five at the Estadio de la Cerámica in all competitions (W3, D1). Only one of those saw the Yellow Submarine keep a clean sheet though, and that’s an issue that has long since plagued them, with no shut out in their last 12 La Liga matches leaving them on the brink of equalling their longest wait for a top-flight clean sheet in the same season since May 2002!
After a gruelling 120-minute slog against Tenerife in midweek, Mallorca secured their spot in the Copa de Rey quarter-finals with a 1-0 extra-time win. And despite what their lowly league position might suggest, the visitors are actually in a respectable vein of form, having tasted defeat just once across their last ten games in all competitions (W5, D4).
Isolating just their league form tells a rather different story though, with just two wins from their last 15 La Liga outings (D8, L5) offering some explanation for their shortcomings. Eight defeats from their last 11 La Liga visits to Villarreal (W1, D2) would hint they’ll have to wait a little longer to build on that record, but given that sole win came last season, they could now win two straight top-flight H2H away games for the first time in history!
Players to watch: Gerard Moreno netted Villarreal’s winner in the reverse fixture back in August (1-0), with that his only goalscoring appearance this term not to see both teams score on the day. In the midst of a purple patch, Mallorca’s Cyle Larin has netted in his last three outings – not since 2020 has he netted in four successive club appearances.
Hot stat: Mallorca have failed to score before half-time in seven of their ten away league games this season.