H2H: Mallorca vs. Villarreal – Prediction (La Liga

Preview and Teams Comparison.

Mallorca won their first three LaLiga games against Villarreal, as many wins as they have managed in the following 23 against them in the competition (W3 D8 L12).

Mallorca come into this game hoping to regain some momentum after remaining winless in each of their last three La Liga (LL) fixtures (D1, L2). Their 2-2 draw against Osasuna in their last LL home outing put an end to a run of five straight league home games which featured only one side scoring and under 2.5 goals. Ante Budimir (three LL goals) has netted Mallorca’s opening goal in each of the two league games he scored. Comfortable on home soil, ‘Los Bermellones’ have lost just two of their last 12 top-flight home fixtures (W7, D3, L2). With that good form behind them, there’s reason to believe they can rebalance their LL H2H home record against Villarreal (W4, D4, L5).

At home, Mallorca are yet to see over 1.5 goals at half-time this LL campaign. Five of the last six L1 H2Hs have seen the home side on the day go into the interval with a cleansheet. On the road, Villarreal have scored more goals in the first half (six) than any other LL side.

Villarreal have struggled away from home in the league, winning just five of their last 22 LL away fixtures (D5, L12). Significantly, each of these five wins have been accompanied by a clean sheet while half of the 12 losses have featured a 2-1 scoreline. Villarreal striker Gerard Moreno is the leading scorer in LL with eight goals so far, six of which came in the first/last 15 minutes. Overall, the feeling is that this game could be a tight clash, especially as ten of Villarreal’s last 11 league away fixtures (win/loss) have been settled by a one-goal margin. In addition, just one of the 13 historical LL H2Hs at the Estadio de Son Moix has been settled by more than a one-goal margin.