Mallorca vs Girona: Preview and Prediction
Mallorca vs Girona Preview
Two sides having polar opposites for seasons and will face-off in the second quarter-final of this year’s Copa del Rey on Thursday, January 25.
Mallorca enter this contest on the back of a decent run of form. They have won three of their last six games, losing one and drawing two. This included a 3-0 away win against Burgos followed by a narrow 1-0 win at Tenerife to advance to this stage. Manager Javier Aguirre will look to take his team as far as they can in the Copa considering they are 15th in La Liga with 20 points from 21 games.
Girona, on the other hand, are having a fairytale season so far as they sit atop La Liga with 52 points from their 21 games. They have won four of their last five games, drawing the other one. During this phase, Michel’s men have scored 14 goals and conceded just five. They recorded impressive wins over Atletico Madrid (4-3) and Sevilla (5-1) at home during this run. Now, the team will shift their focus to the Copa del Rey – a competition Girona have never won.
That said, let’s take a look at the team news.
Team News & Probable Lineups
Mallorca
Centre-forward Vedat Muriqi remains sidelined for the hosts having picked up a calf injury in mid-November that has kept him out since. Defender Braian Cufre is also likely to miss the game owing to an adductor injury.
Mallorca have zero suspended players and neither is anyone at the risk of being suspended. They are likely to stick with the same team that defeated Tenerife.
Probable XI: Dominik Greif (GK), David Lopez, Matija Nastasic, Jose Copete, Giovanni Gonzalez, Sergi Dader, Omar Mascarell, Siebe Van Der Heyden, Amath Ndiaye, Javi Llabres, Abdon Prats (C).
Girona
Long-term absentee Toni Villa remains sidelined having picked up an ACL injury in April 2023. Centre-backs David Lopez and Eric Garcia are also likely to miss out having picked up muscle injuries in recent weeks.
Girona won their last Copa del Rey game comfortably as they brushed aside Rayo Vallecano with a 3-1 scoreline. They are likely to stick with that same lineup, barring last-minute injuries.
Probable XI: Juan Carlos (GK), Arnau Martinez, Juanpe, Daley Blind, Miguel Gutierrez, Jhon Solis, Yangel Herrera, Viktor Tsygankov, Portu, Savio, Cristhian Stuani (C).
ALSO READ: Atletico Madrid vs Sevilla Copa del Rey QF: Preview and Prediction.
Mallorca vs Girona Head-to-Head & Prediction
Last 5 games H2H (All Comps)
- Girona 5-3 Mallorca (09/23)
- Girona 2-1 Mallorca (05/23)
- Mallorca 1-1 Girona (09/22)
- Mallorca 1-0 Girona (01/21)
- Girona 0-1 Mallorca (11/20)
As you can see, Mallorca won three-in-a-row when both sides were playing in La Liga 2. However, Girona have undergone tremendous transformation as a club since, which reflected in their comfortable wins in the last two meetings.
This points towards another simple win for free-scoring Girona, although the magic of cup competitions could see Mallorca put their best foot forward.
Prediction: Mallorca 1-3 Girona.
Betting Tips
- Girona to Win & Both Teams to Score: Yes.
- Over 3.5 Goals: Yes.
- Girona: -1 Handicap.
Odds
- Mallorca Win: 3.35.
- Draw: 3.35.
- Girona Win: 2.30.
Top Players to Watch
Mallorca
Striker Abdon Prats is currently the team’s top scorer in La Liga with five goals so far this season. He has led the line well in the absence of Muriqi, who bagged four goals before picking up an injury earlier this season.
The 31-year-old Prats has produced nine goals and two assists in 22 games across competitions. Having scored in the 3-0 win against Burgos, Prats will look to get on the scoresheet again.
Girona
Artem Dovbyk has been the main man for Michel’s high-flying Girona this season and has bagged an impressive 14 La Liga goals. That is twice more than Cristhian Stuani (7) in second place.
He has bagged 15 goals and seven assists across competitions and will look to add to his tally yet again.
Mallorca vs Girona Timings & Telecast
- Date & Time: Thursday, 25th January (12:00 AM IST)
- India: Fancode app & website.
- US: ESPN+.
- Spain: TVE, RTVE Play and TV3.
ALSO READ: Athletic Club vs Barcelona Copa del Rey QF: Preview and Prediction.