Preview: Mallorca vs Elche - prediction, team news, lineups

Elche will be bidding to make it three straight wins in all competitions when they continue their La Liga campaign away to Mallorca on Saturday afternoon.

The visitors are currently ninth in the La Liga table, boasting 19 points from their opening 15 matches of the season, while the hosts are 17th, sitting just two points outside of the relegation zone ahead of the next set of fixtures.

Match preview

There is no getting away from the fact that it has been a disappointing opening half of the season for Mallorca, with a total of 14 points from 15 matches leaving them down in 17th spot in the division, only two points above 18th-placed Girona.

The Pirates finished 10th in La Liga last season, four points off the European spots, but the team are currently involved in a battle towards the bottom of the division.

Jagoba Arrasate's side will bring a three-game unbeaten run into this match, drawing with Osasuna and Real Oviedo in La Liga either side of a Copa del Rey success over Numancia.

Mallorca have only lost once at home in Spain's top flight this term, and they will be welcoming an Elche side that are yet to win on their travels in 2025-26.

The Pirates have only managed to win 11 of their previous 40 matches with Elche in all competitions, and they have not overcome Saturday's opponents since November 2017.

Somewhat surprisingly, Elche are unbeaten in their last seven matches against Mallorca, including a 1-0 victory in the corresponding match during the 2022-23 season.

However, five of those games have finished all square, and a close match is expected this weekend despite the fact that Elche have performed better thus far this season.

Indeed, a record of four wins, seven draws and four defeats from 15 matches has seen Eder Sarabia's side collect 19 points, which has left them in ninth spot in the table.

Los Franjiverdes have been one of the success stories in La Liga this season, and they will enter this match off the back of successive wins, beating Quintanar del Rey in the Copa del Rey and Girona in Spain's top flight.

Elche's 3-0 win over Girona last time out was arguably their best performance of the campaign, and head coach Sarabia will be looking for more of the same on Saturday.

Mallorca La Liga form:

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Mallorca form (all competitions):

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Elche La Liga form:

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Elche form (all competitions):

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Team News

Mallorca have four injury doubts ahead of this match, with Toni Lato, Leo Roman, Pablo Torre and Antonio Raillo all facing late fitness tests.

Vedat Muriqi has been in impressive form for Mallorca this season, scoring eight times in 14 appearances, and he will once again operate in the final third of the field.

There should also be another start for Jan Virgili, who made the move to the Pirates from Barcelona over the summer, and the 19-year-old has impressed of late.

As for Elche, Andre Silva and Grady Diangana are both in danger of missing the match.

Should Silva be ruled out, then there could be a spot in the final third of the field for Alvaro Rodriguez, who has netted twice for the club during the 2025-26 campaign.

Rafa Mir has been Elche's standout performer in the attacking areas, netting six times, and the 28-year-old will also be in the away side's XI on Saturday.

Mallorca possible starting lineup:

Bergstrom; Maffeo, Valjent, Kumbulla, Mojica; Morlanes, Mascarell; Joseph, Darder, Virgili; Muriqi

Elche possible starting lineup:

Pena; Chust, Affengruber, Bigas; Fort, Nunez, Febas, Aguado, Valera; Rodriguez, Mir

We say: Mallorca 1-1 Elche

Recent history suggests that this will be a close match, and we are finding it difficult to separate the two teams on Saturday, with the points potentially being shared in a 1-1 draw.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.