Sevilla vs Mallorca
Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán is the venue as bottom-half underachievers Sevilla take on mid-table Mallorca.
Sevilla’s mini-revival in La Liga (W2) ended abruptly at the hands of table-topping Barcelona last weekend (0-3), leaving the underperforming Andalusian heavyweights only two points clear of the relegation zone at the start of this round. An immediate return home to Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán, where they’ve won their last three league matches by an aggregate score of 6-1, bodes well for Sevilla’s bid to make amends for the abovementioned fiasco at the Spotify Camp Nou. There’s more reason for optimism, as ‘Los Rojiblancos’ haven’t lost any of their last five top-flight games against Mallorca (W3, D2), though this corresponding fixture in 2021/22 yielded a 0-0 scoreline. Moreover, Jorge Sampaoli’s men have gone unbeaten in all five home league clashes against sides starting this round outside the top eight (W3, D2).
In the meantime, visiting Mallorca played down the odds last weekend with a morale-boosting 1-0 home win over reigning La Liga holders Real Madrid, continuing their volatile domestic form. Indeed, the visitors have alternated between victories (4) and defeats (3) in their last seven league outings, suggesting traveling fans can never know which version of Mallorca they’re going to get on a given day. Ominously for head coach Javier Aguirre, ‘Los Piratas’ have failed to win any of their last eight away league encounters against Andalusian opponents (D3, L5) since a 2-1 triumph at Granada in 2013. Topically, they have picked up points on just two of their last seven La Liga visits to Sevilla (W1, D1, L5).