Overview
After the winter break, Mallorca returned to competition with a result that could not have been worse, being eliminated from the Copa del Rey by lower-division team Pontevedra with a score of 0-3.
This is a big shock because Mallorca reached the Copa del Rey final last season. They are also in stable form in La Liga, sitting in 6th place with 30 points after 19 matches.
Mallorca’s ability to convert chances into goals is really problematic. In La Liga alone, they have only scored 19 goals, a record only bettered by the teams at the bottom of the table. Even though Real Madrid are without their best defenders due to injuries, Mallorca will still have trouble scoring.
On the other side of the front line, Real Madrid welcomed the new year 2025 with an impressive comeback victory over Valencia and then defeated Dep Minera in the Copa del Rey.
Resting Kylian Mbappe for the Copa del Rey will help Los Blancos maintain their quality in attack. The French striker is also returning to top form in matches towards the end of 2024.
Overall, Real Madrid is rated higher than Mallorca in all aspects at the moment. Coach Carlo Ancelotti's team will not have too much difficulty winning, thereby advancing to the final.
Mallorca held Real Madrid to a 1-1 draw when the two teams last met at Son Moix. Mallorca's last win against their opponents came in February 2023.
Human resources situation
Real Madrid will be without defenders Dani Carvajal and Eder Militao. David Alaba also failed to recover in time to play in the match despite being included in the squad.
On the other side of the front line, Samu Costa has returned after missing the last 3 matches due to a muscle injury. However, it is still unclear whether the 24-year-old midfielder is fit enough to start. Antonio Raillo and Antonio Sanchez also need to be assessed before kick-off.
Expected lineup:
Real Madrid: Courtois, Vazquez, Tchouameni, Rudiger, Mendy, Valverde, Camavinga, Rodrygo, Bellingham, Vinicius, Mbappe.
Mallorca: Greif, Mafeo, Valjent, Copete, Mojica, Asano, Morlanes, Mascarell, Darder, Larin, Muriqi.
The match between Real Madrid and Mallorca takes place at 2:00 a.m. on January 10 (Vietnam time).
