The Matchday 20 clash in La Liga between Villarreal and Mallorca will take place on January 20 at the Estadio de la Cerámica. Villarreal vs. Mallorca: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Predicted lineups for Villarreal vs. Mallorca
Villarreal (4-4-2): Luis Junior – Sergi Cardona, Kiko Femenia, Juan Foyth, Villi Cambevala – Denis Suarez, Daniel Parejo, Santi Comesaña, Pape Gueye – Thierno Barry, Alex Baena.
Mallorca (4-4-2): Dominik Greif – Pablo Maffeo, Antonio Raillo, Johan Mojica, Martin Valjent – Omar Mascarell, Sergi Darder, Takuma Asano, Antonio Sanchez – Daniel Rodriguez, Cyle Larin.
Each team's starting lineup from their last match in this tournament is listed.
Villarreal
The Valencians suffered a 0-1 defeat away to Real Sociedad in the last round. The team is in poor form, having secured only one victory in their last seven La Liga matches (3 draws and 3 losses). This disappointing run has dropped them to fifth place, six points behind Athletic in fourth. Notably, Marcelino Garcia's side has one of the worst defenses in La Liga, conceding 31 goals (only Valladolid has conceded more, with 37 goals).
Midfielder Ilias Akhomach and forward Alfonso Pedraza will miss the match due to injuries.
- Both teams scored in 17 of Villarreal's last 21 La Liga matches.
- At least three goals were scored in 11 of the last 13 league games for the Valencians.
- In 10 of their last 13 home matches in La Liga, at least two goals were scored in the second half.
Mallorca
The Islanders ended last year on a high note with two victories. They first defeated Girona at home (2-1) and then overcame Getafe away (1-0). These wins allowed Jagoba Arrasate's side to catch up with Villarreal in the standings, trailing only due to a worse goal difference. Interestingly, in their last 16 league matches, the team has drawn only once (9 wins and 6 losses).
Goalkeeper Ivan Cuellar will miss the match due to suspension.
- The number "1" appeared in the final scoreline in 13 of Mallorca's last 16 La Liga games.
- Mallorca's uncompromising away run in La Liga stands at 10 matches (6 wins and 4 losses).
- The first half ended in a draw in 9 of their last 10 league matches.
Villarreal vs. Mallorca: Match Prediction
The Valencians are in the European competition spots thanks to a strong start. However, as the season progressed, they began dropping points more frequently, with their defense making more mistakes than their attack could compensate for. Villarreal has not been impressive at home, securing only three victories against lower-table teams in this La Liga season (4 draws and 2 losses).
I predict that the visitors will either take points from the Estadio de la Cerámica or at least not lose by two or more goals. Villarreal has won convincingly in only 9 of their last 11 home La Liga matches. Meanwhile, Mallorca has not lost by two or more goals in 32 of their last 34 league games. Additionally, in the last five head-to-head La Liga encounters, Mallorca has won twice with one draw, while Villarreal has won twice by the narrowest of margins.
My prediction – Mallorca with a handicap (+1)