Alaves vs Mallorca prediction: SPAIN: LaLiga betting tips on match 2024-02-23 17:30.
Only Barcelona have beaten AlavĂ©s in La Liga this calendar year (W3, D3, L1) with Villarreal (D 1-1) and Real Betis (D 0-0) the latest to discover just how tricky head coach Luis GarcĂa’s side are to overcome. Their key to making life difficult for their opponents has been goalkeeper Antonio Sivera, who GarcĂa praised after making two vital saves against Betis as the Basque side registered their third clean sheet in five league games (W2, D2, L1).
As GarcĂa’s previous employers Mallorca arrive, history suggests there’s a strong chance of at least one side keeping a clean sheet as each of the last eight H2Hs here witnessed one or both teams failing to score (AlavĂ©s: W4, D1, L3). With the hosts winning just one of their last five home league fixtures (D1, L3), a repeat of the goalless draw these two produced in early December can’t be ruled out either.
Mallorca trail Alavés by five points, but started the round just six points above the relegation zone after winning just one of their last seven La Liga games (D2, L4). Denied by an injury-time goal against Real Sociedad (L 2-1) last weekend after playing most of the game with ten men, forward Abdón Prats controversially suggested afterwards that perhaps the players should be able to book the referees in return!
Regardless of what one thinks of Antonio RaĂllo’s second booking for sarcastically applauding the referee after he was carded for a foul, discipline remains a problem for the Pirates. Only Getafe (94) and Cádiz (81) had collected more cards of any colour this La Liga campaign than Mallorca’s 74 after matchday 25. But it’s a lack of goals on the road that is hurting them most, netting just once across their last seven league away games (D2, L5).
Key battle: Sivera, who is yet to miss a league game for Alavés this term, has never conceded against Mallorca (W1, D1). Javi Llabrés, the last man to score a league away goal for Mallorca, netted all three of his competitive strikes this term after the 55th minute.
Hot streak: Alavés’ last four games each produced the same half-time/full-time outcome (W1, D2, L1).