Prediction: Mallorca vs Real Sociedad

Verdict: Real Sociedad draw no bet

Best Odds: 7/10

Bookmaker: Olympusbet

With a spot in the final of this season’s Copa del Rey hanging in the balance on Tuesday night, Real Sociedad will make the trip to Mallorca.

Mallorca

Starting with the hosts, although Mallorca might have shocked many across Spain’s elite last season as they secured a top-half finish, the Pirates have struggled to find any kind of stability this time around. Last seen putting in a nightmare performance as they slumped to a 4-0 drumming at the hands of Athletic Bilbao, Javier Aguirre’s side are looking over their shoulder at a looming relegation scrap. Holding just a three-point buffer from slipping into the drop zone, the Palma-based outfit have the feel of a squad seeking a welcomed boost. Including a 1-0 defeat at home against Real Betis last week, Mallorca have managed to claim just a single victory from any of their previous six appearances within 90 minutes. Hit with a 1-0 loss when they travelled to Reale Park while on La Liga duties back on October 21st, Aguirre’s men should be bracing themselves for a stern challenge here.

Team News

Still dealing with a recent knee injury and missing all of Mallorca’s last five domestic appearances, Aguirre is expected to be without the services of 26-year-old defender Pablo Maffeo. However, aside from the one-time Girona star, the Pirates have reported a clean bill of health heading into Tuesday’s showdown.

Expected to make a handful of changes here, the likes of Sergi Darder and Vedat Muriqi could be handed a full recall in midweek. Notching four strikes in his previous seven appearances, Canada international Cyle Larin should spearhead Mallorca’s charge.

Real Sociedad

As for the visitors, although Real Sociedad might have been forced to settle for back-to-back 0-0 stalemates against Girona and Rayo Vallecano over the past week, Imanol Alguacil’s side are enjoying another domestic flurry this season. Despite facing a real uphill battle in their bid to claim another top-four finish, the Basque-based outfit have remarkably suffered just a single defeat from any of their previous 18 straight appearances across all competitions. With that extended purple patch stemming all the way back to a 1-0 loss against Barcelona on November 4th, Sociedad also sprung a real Champions League upset this season. Punching their knockout stage ticket and with a heavyweight showdown against French icons PSG fast approaching, Tuesday’s guests will be looking to make a statement here. Unbeaten in all of their last nine showdowns against Mallorca, Alguacil’s camp should be smelling a potential Copa del Rey opportunity in midweek.

Team News

Dealing with a stacked injury list, Real Sociedad will once again be without the likes of Aritz Elustondo, Carlos Fernandez, Pablo Marin, Aihen Munoz and Arsenal loanee Kieran Tierney. However, returning from the Asia Cup after suffering heartbreak with Japan, Takefusa Kubo could make a timely return here.

While Nigeria international Umar Sadiq might have failed to notch a single domestic strike since the start of December, the 27-year-old could be handed the chance to spearhead Sociedad’s charge.

Key Factors to Consider

• When Mallorca and Real Sociedad last met back on October October 21st, Tuesday’s guests picked up a 1-0 victory at the Reale Arena.
• Sociedad are unbeaten in all of their previous nine straight meetings against Mallorca – a run that stems back to September 2012.
• The Pirates have secured just a single victory from any of their previous six domestic appearances within 90 minutes.
• Real Sociedad have suffered just a single defeat from any of their last 15 straight appearances away from the Reale Arena.
• Mallorca have failed to muster a single clean sheet from their last seven meetings against La Liga opposition.

Conclusion

Landing a 1-0 victory when they welcomed Mallorca to the Reale Arena while on La Liga duties back on October 21st, Real Sociedad will certainly be calling on a repeat performance here. Suffering just a single loss from any of their previous 18 straight appearances across all competitions, Tuesday’s guests will also be excited by a rampant record against the Spanish relegation scrappers. Unbeaten in all of their last nine meetings against Mallorca – a run that stems back to September 2012 – we are predicting an away draw no bet here.

Verdict: Real Sociedad draw no bet

Best Odds: 7/10

Bookmaker: Olympusbet