Real Madrid vs Mallorca Preview

After suffering an embarrassing loss to Barcelona last weekend, Real Madrid will return to La Liga action on Wednesday when they host Mallorca for their 36th league game of the season.

Despite going two goals up early in their last El Clasico outing, Carlo Ancelotti’s men succumbed to a 4-3 loss to their fierce rivals, effectively ending their hopes for a La Liga crown this season. Now trailing Barca by seven points with three matches remaining, all the reigning champions can do is win those games and hope Barcelona collapse.

It’s an unlikely scenario, but Los Blancos will not give up hope as they take on a Mallorca side they’ve beaten in the last eight H2HS they’ve hosted. That should give Real the confidence to gain the win they need to keep the title race alive.

However, they’ll have to guard against the defensive errors that cost them dearly at the weekend, especially as each of their last five home La Liga fixtures were decided by one-goal margins (W4, L1).

Although history might not be on their side, Mallorca will not simply roll over as they still harbour ambitions of playing European football next term after beating an already-relegated Real Valladolid 2-1 on Saturday. That was a timely victory given that they were winless and goalless in three La Liga games before that (D2, L1).

The visitors have a terrible record at the Bernabéu, though, conceding 13 times across their last four visits (L4). Also, they have only won one of their last eight away league fixtures against any opposition (D2, L5).

Still, with Madrid unable to select anything like their first-choice defence, that might present an opportunity for Mallorca to secure a rare away H2H win, something they last achieved in May 2009.

Other fixtures taking place this week in the Spanish Primera Liga:

Spanish Primera Liga Table