Real Madrid vs Mallorca Preview

Real Madrid will look to continue their perfect start to the new year when they face Real Mallorca in the Spanish Super Cup semifinal.

Los Blancos have enjoyed a brilliant start to 2025, with an injury-time strike helping them beat Valencia 2-1 in La Liga to make it two wins in a row this year. That result came despite Vinícius Junior’s red card, while Luka Modrić became the oldest player to score a competitive goal for the club, breaking Ferenc Puskás’ previous record.

With this game being Real Madrid’s third in seven days, their squad depth will be tested here. With defenders David Alaba, Dani Carvajal and Éder Militão not close to returning, there is speculation that reinforcements could arrive this month.

However, nothing is likely to change in time to help them defend this title as Madrid chases a record-equalling 14th Spanish Super Cup trophy. They’ll have to get past last season’s Copa del Rey runners-up Mallorca to keep that dream alive.

Mallorca enjoyed a remarkable run to the Copa del Rey final last season, eventually losing to Athletic Bilbao. However, there will not be such an event this time as Mallorca was dumped out of the Copa del Rey on Friday by fourth-tier Pontevedra (L 3-0).

While they should be fresher than their esteemed opponents having not played since, they’ll need to rebound quickly from that defeat, which was unexpected given that Jagoba Arrasate’s men went into the winter break having won their final two league games of 2024.

However, they have a poor recent H2H record, winning just one of the last eight meetings with Madrid (D1, L6), suggesting they have a difficult task ahead.