Preview: Deportivo La Coruna vs Mallorca - prediction, team news, lineups

Deportivo La Coruna welcome Mallorca on Tuesday in the Copa del Rey round of 32, with a place in the last 16 on the line at Riazor.

The tie pits the resurgent Segunda Division outfit against top-flight opposition for the first time this season.

Match preview

Mallorca, who were the 2024 Copa del Rey runners-up, arrive as favourites, boasting a seat at the table of Spain’s elite in La Liga.

Jagoba Arrasate’s side are unbeaten in their last four matches in all competitions and come into the tie off the back of a 3-1 La Liga victory over Elche.

The islanders stuttered through the previous round with a 3-2 away win over another Segunda Division side in Numancia, having allowed their convincing three-goal lead to be reduced to just one.

The 2002-03 Copa del Rey winners have failed to put their name to any major silverware since that momentous 3-0 triumph over Recreativo de Huelva, where a certain Samuel Eto’o was on the scoresheet.

Meanwhile, Tuesday’s hosts currently sit second in Spain’s second tier, though they have lost their last two matches after previously putting together a seven-game winning streak in all competitions.

Os Brancoazuis, who also have their own history with Spain’s predominant domestic knockout tournament – having won the trophy after famously ousting Real Madrid in the final in 2001-02 – progressed after a 2-0 win over third-tier Sabadell.

This will be the first meeting between the sides since 2019, when Mallorca recorded a routine 3-0 victory, a season in which Los Bermellones secured promotion back to La Liga.

Historically, though, Deportivo have had the edge in this fixture, winning 11 of the 28 meetings while losing just seven.

Deportivo La Coruna Segunda Division form:

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Deportivo La Coruna form (all competitions):

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Mallorca La Liga form:

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Mallorca form (all competitions):

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Team News

With the winter break fast approaching, Mallorca will be thankful that their squad has remained unscathed, with the Estadi Mallorca Son Moix’s treatment room a largely injury-free zone at present, but Manuel Morlanes is sidelined with an adductor problem.

Forward Vedat Muriqi has been worth his weight in goals for the islanders this term, and added to his tally last Saturday, having now found the net in nine of his 15 league games.

The visitors have also waved goodbye to Omar Mascarell, who is representing Equatorial Guinea at the Africa Cup of Nations.

As for Deportivo, Sergio Escudero remains sidelined with a muscle injury and will miss out on Tuesday.

Head coach Antonio Hidalgo will look to forwards Zakaria Eddahchouri and Yeremy Hernandez for further attacking impetus, with the pair being prolific for his side this term, having registered 23 goal involvements between them.

Deportivo La Coruna possible starting lineup:

German; Mella, Loureiro, Comas, Barcia, Quagliata; Patino, Angel, Soriano; Stoichkov, Hernandez

Mallorca possible starting lineup:

Bergstrom; Maffeo, Valient, Kumbulla, Lato; Costa, Sanchez; Joseph, Darder, Virgili; Muriqi

We say: Deportivo La Coruna 1-2 Mallorca

Deportivo should be competitive at home, but Mallorca’s top-flight quality and recent cup experience may prove decisive, with the visitors tipped to edge a narrow victory.