Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the La Liga match.
At the start of the season, Mallorca and Real Sociedad have dropped a considerable number of points, drifting away from the coveted spots at the top of the table. Next week, the Basque side begins their Europa League campaign, but before that, they aim to secure confident performances in two La Liga rounds.
Mallorca
Even after a coaching change, Mallorca have not deviated from Javier Aguirre’s defensive style, which nearly led the team to triumph in the last Copa del Rey. In five rounds of the current campaign, they have surpassed the total over 2.5 only once, and with 4.51 xG, they have underperformed by one and a half goals. Playing at home against Villarreal (1:2), the team was unlucky with Toni Lato’s red card—down to ten men, they couldn't hold on for a draw.
Real Sociedad
Due to injuries, Real Sociedad have been unable to field their strongest lineup, and at the transfer deadline, they sold crucial midfielder Mikel Merino to Arsenal. Against Real Madrid (0:2) on Saturday, the team created a respectable 1.43 xG but only hit the target twice— Umar Sadiq and Takefusa Kubo are struggling with finishing. On the positive side, Real Madrid managed only 0.8 xG in open play at San Sebastián, demonstrating Sociedad’s defensive capabilities.
Mallorca vs Real Sociedad Prediction
In the past three years, 8 out of 9 meetings between Mallorca and Real Sociedad have ended with the total under 2.5. Clearly, in midweek, these struggling opponents are unlikely to go on the offensive, so we can expect a low-scoring match.
