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Mallorca vs Elche predictions and match preview for Saturday’s LaLiga fixture. Read on for analysis, team news and predicted lineups as the hosts look to extend their impressive run of results in Palma.
| Date | Saturday 4th March 2023 |
| Kick-Off | 18:30 (CET) |
| Stadium | Son Moix |
| Competition | LaLiga Santander |
Mallorca vs Elche Preview
Mallorca host Elche this weekend in a match in which the points at stake are huge for either side but for very different reasons. Mallorca will be aiming to pick up a victory in their surprising chase for Europe whilst Elche need points in their fight against what seems like an inevitable relegation.
The hosts come into this match after a 2-1 defeat in Barcelona last weekend to Espanyol. The Catalan side took the lead through Martin Braithwaite after a poor giveaway from Mallorca keeper Rajković, however “The Pirate” Vedat Muriqi equalised for the islanders right on the stroke of half time with an outstanding chip-like finish from outside of the box. Espanyol would take all three points though, as the only goal of the second half would again fall to Martin Braithwaite with a tidy finish to end a slick move for the hosts.
Mallorca have had an inconsistent run of form since the turn of the year, with four wins and four losses in their eight LaLiga matches in 2023. Admittedly, all four victories came at the Visit Mallorca Stadium, proving that Javier Aguirre’s side are a different animal when playing in front of their home support. Few would have seen Mallorca this high up in the table this far into the season, with the islanders now in the mix for a European place when they would have been a favourite to go down before the season began.
A side who do look like they are nailed on to be relegated are their opponents for this match. After a strong 2021-22 campaign which saw them finish as high as thirteenth in the table, Elche now find themselves in twentieth place, more than ten points behind their nearest competition. The club were winless until Matchday 20, although it must be said that the Valencian side have improved recently, being the much superior team in a loss to Espanyol and a close and controversial loss to Real Betis, with both of these games coming at home.
Their last outing was the match against Betis, a game in which Elche were 2-0 up at half time with goals from Fidel and Lucas Boye. In the second half however, everything went wrong for Pablo Machin’s side as they conceded three penalties and had a man sent off. At 2-2, it looked like Elche had saved at least a point after Edgar Badia saved a late penalty from Borja Iglesias, however Betis would win another penalty in the dying embers of the game, with substitute Willian Jose making no mistake from the spot as Betis won the match.
This loss, as well as the previous loss to Espanyol (a game in which Elche also lost late on) could be damning blows mentally to an Elche team already so far behind in the table, so if the club wants to miraculously avoid the drop they must forget about these losses and aim to grab a win against Mallorca this weekend.
Team News & Possible Lineups
Mallorca
Possible XI: Rajkovic – Copete, Raillo, Valjent – Costa, Dani Rodriguez, Ruiz de Galarreta, Maffeo – Kang-in – Kadewere, Muriqi (3-4-1-2)
Coach: Javier Aguirre
Elche
| INJURED | Collado, Milla, Chetauya, Alamo |
| DOUBTFUL | |
| BANNED | Cheikh, Magallan, Roco |
Possible XI: Badia – Bigas, Verdu, Palacios – Clerc, Gumbau, Mascarell, Carmona – Fidel – Ponce, Boye (3-4-1-2)
Coach: Pablo Machin
Score Prediction: Mallorca 2-1 Elche
Mallorca seem a far superior team at the moment so should grab all three points, although the islanders don’t often score a lot of goals in single games so Elche may have a chance to keep the game close and grab something from the match.
PLEASE NOTE – Our LaLiga match predictions are not betting tips! No profits are guaranteed if you’re using them to bet on Spanish football. If you are gambling, do so responsibly and never stake more than you can afford to lose. BeGambleAware.
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