Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the La Liga match.
In this clash, the newly promoted La Liga side meets a team that, to the surprise of many, finds itself in the Europa League qualification zone. Will there be intrigue, or will the nominal favourite handle their opponent without much trouble?
Real Valladolid
Last season, Real Valladolid earned promotion to the top flight, but after the first seven rounds, it seems like their stay might be short-lived. The team is currently in the relegation zone, and it's hard to call this a fluke. Their performance leaves much to be desired. With 4.9 xG, they have scored only three goals (tied for last place) and conceded 15 goals (the worst in the league), with 12.4.xGA. Real Valladolid haven't won in six matches, and it's hard to find reasons to believe their form will improve soon.
RCD Mallorca
Mallorca, on the other hand, have pleasantly surprised their fans by sitting in fifth place on the table. Javier Aguirre's pragmatic defensive football disregards possession, with an average possession rate of 44.5%. Defensively, the team has been impressive: only five goals conceded with an xGA of 6.5, including three clean sheets. However, Mallorca have yet to improve their attack: the team has scored just six goals with an xG of 6.6.
Real Valladolid vs RCD Mallorca Prediction
The last time these teams met was in the season before last. A lot has changed since then, including teams’ lineups, managers, and playing styles, so it's more accurate to rely on the current statistics of the teams. And these stats clearly favour Mallorca. It's tough to predict the exact outcome, but it's highly likely that Dominik Greif will keep a clean sheet.
