Mallorca vs Real Madrid

Real Madrid’s La Liga title defense commences at the Estadi Mallorca Son Moix against perennial bottom-half underachievers Mallorca.

Last season’s sub-par 15th-place finish signaled the end of Javier Aguirre’s managerial tenure at Mallorca, with former Osasuna boss Jagoba Arrasate replacing the Argentine veteran in the dugout. Mallorca’s pre-season form was impressive (W5, D1), yet it’s worth noting that none of those five wins came against top-tier opposition. Entertainment was a rare commodity at San Moix lately, with five of Mallorca’s last six home league outings yielding an identical 1-0 scoreline (W3, D1, L2). That same final score settled Mallorca’s both top-flight encounters against Real Madrid in 2023/24. Goals were at a premium for Mallorca last term. But they made up for their uneventful football with unparalleled commitment, finishing the season as one of only six La Liga sides to receive more than 100 yellow/red cards.

On the other hand, with just one loss from 38 games, Real Madrid steamrolled to a record-extending 36th La Liga title last season, leaving second-placed rivals Barcelona ten points behind. In addition to another domestic success, Los Blancos lifted their 16th Champions League trophy to earn a place in the UEFA Super Cup. Marquee summer signing Kylian Mbappe marked his Los Merengues debut against Atalanta with a goal in midweek as Carlo Ancelotti’s side claimed a comfortable 2-0 win. That victory extended Real Madrid’s mind-blowing unbeaten streak in competitive action to 27 matches (W19, D8), a run stretching back to mid-January. Particularly impressive on the road, the reigning La Liga champions netted precisely four goals in three of their final five away league games toward the end of the 2023/24 season (W4, D1).