Soccer Spain LaLiga Prediction

Mallorca vs Rayo Vallecano - Match Preview

⚽ 4 June 2023 - 16:30 GMT +0

After they were outclassed 3-0 at Camp Nou by Ansu Fati and champions-elect Barcelona, Mallorca will be hoping a sixth consecutive La Liga (LL) match that saw the designated home team finish as victorious is on the horizon. They have already sealed their best top-flight season in a decade, which is something that has been built on a foundation of strong performances on home turf and now they could end the season with more LL home points than as many as 14 other clubs (W9, D5, L4).

Solid 1-0 wins against Cádiz and Valencia in their last two home outings extended an unbeaten home run in LL football to six games (W3, D3) and manager Javier Aguirre is confident they can make it seven after putting the loss in Barcelona down to a 20-minute “perfect storm” of Fati’s two goals and the dismissal of Mallorca winger Amath Ndiaye. Aguirre didn’t want the result to detract from a season he rated as “between good and very good” due to his side securing their survival well before the final round.

There’ll be no time for Rayo Vallecano to hit the beaches of Palma, with this their last opportunity to jump into seventh place and enter the playoff round of next season’s UEFA Europa Conference League. It’s an unlikely prospect, as in addition to victory here, Rayo also needs Athletic Bilbao to drop points and for Osasuna against Girona to be a stalemate!

Other results should be the last thing on Andoni Iraola’s mind, considering how poorly his players have fared away from home over the last few months. They head into this final round as the only club in the division to have not won a single LL away game since the start of February (D2, L6), courtesy of conceding 11 goals across their last four LL away trips (L4). Away losses to four LL bottom-half clubs this season suggest visiting Mallorca won’t be any easier.

📋 Players to watch: Mallorca star Vedat Muriqi may wish to make an earlier impact after his last six LL goals all came beyond the 40th minute. Patience must also be required for goals from Vallecano’s Raúl de Tomás, who has scored after the 40th minute in four of their last five league fixtures!

⚡ Hot stat: All but one of Vallecano’s last 12 LL matches saw both teams score on the day.