Match Preview

Today, August 18, the first round of the Spanish La Liga will feature a match between Mallorca and Real Madrid at the Mallorca-Son Moix Stadium.

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Carlo Ancelotti's team, starting the season as the reigning Spanish champions, UEFA Champions League winners, and newly crowned UEFA Super Cup holders, will kick off the new campaign with an away game against last season's Copa del Rey finalists, who have undergone a managerial change since the end of the previous season.

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Mallorca vs Real Madrid

The emotions of Real Madrid fans over the past few months have been a rollercoaster. From the news of legendary German midfielder Toni Kroos retiring after Euro 2024, to the joy of winning both the league and Champions League, followed by a period of reflection after a tough season, decisions on the futures of Nacho and Luka Modric, and then the arrival of Kylian Mbappé—it's been an eventful time.

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Now, the headlines surrounding "Los Blancos" are dominated by phrases like "Mbappé for the first time…" as the French superstar integrates into the team. From his first training session, witnessing an injury to a teammate, playing his first official and unofficial matches, scoring his first goal, to lifting his first trophy with Real Madrid—Mbappé has quickly become the center of attention. Today, he will make his La Liga debut, and that's all anyone is talking about.

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Real Madrid's preseason preparations included a tour of the United States, the effectiveness of which for tactical and match fitness development remains debatable. Carlo Ancelotti experimented with his ideas, and the "Galácticos" unveiled their revamped squad in the UEFA Super Cup against Atalanta. As expected, Real Madrid looked incredibly strong and poised to compete for every trophy this season.

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However, Ancelotti has requested additional central and full-backs, but the management has declared the squad complete, leaving the Italian coach to work with the available players. The situation might ease when David Alaba returns, but until then, the rotation will be challenging, especially after the recent injury to Eduardo Camavinga, who is expected to be out until after the international break.

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Meanwhile, the national championship will soon be in full swing, and the European competitions will begin for Real Madrid. The revamped Champions League format's impact on Madrid's campaign remains to be seen, but for now, the focus is on their first La Liga opponent, which promises to be a tough challenge, especially away on the Balearic Islands. Last season, Mallorca, under Javier Aguirre, made waves, but how will they fare under Jagoba Arrasate?

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Financial constraints continue to limit Mallorca, reflected in their modest transfer activity. They acquired Villarreal's defender Johan Mojica for a mere €1.5 million and brought in Mateu Morey from Borussia Dortmund and Takuma Asano from Bochum on free transfers. However, they lost key players like goalkeeper Predrag Rajković, forwards Nemanja Radonjić and Amath Ndiaye, midfielder Iddrisu Baba, and defender Nacho Vidal, significantly reducing their squad depth.

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Mallorca is not known for flashy football; their strengths lie in endurance and loyalty to the coach's tactics. Under Aguirre, this approach brought them to the Copa del Rey final, where they narrowly missed out on the trophy against Athletic Bilbao. Their ambitions for this season are clear, but they are far from the level of Real Madrid.

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Avoiding relegation remains the primary goal, while aiming for European qualification and causing problems for bigger teams are secondary objectives. Last season, they narrowly lost both games to Real Madrid but were proud of their fighting spirit. This is the essence of their approach.

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Probable Lineups

• Mallorca: Greif — van der Heyden, Raíllo, González — Maffeo, Mascarell, D. Rodríguez, Mojica — Darder — Muriqi, Asano.
• Real Madrid: Courtois — Carvajal, Militão, Rüdiger, Mendy — Valverde, Tchouaméni, Bellingham — Rodrygo, Mbappé, Vinícius.

Unavailable: Llabres — Alaba, Camavinga.

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Head-to-Head

‍In their 72 meetings, Real Madrid has won 44 times, while Mallorca has 16 victories, and 12 matches have ended in a draw. The goal difference also favors "Los Blancos" at 146:68.

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Prediction: 1-2

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