Mallorca vs Villarreal - prediction, team news, lineups

Mallorca's battle to remain in La Liga will continue on Sunday afternoon when they welcome a Villarreal outfit that have confirmed a top-four spot in the division.

The hosts are 15th in the La Liga table, two points ahead of the relegation zone, while Villarreal are third, five points ahead of fourth-placed Atletico Madrid.

Match preview

Mallorca will enter this weekend's contest off the back of a 1-0 success over Girona, with the result moving them into 15th spot in the division, but a number of clubs towards the bottom are also picking up points, which has created a fascinating battle to stay in the division.

Martin Demichelis' side have actually won four of their last seven matches in Spain's top flight, and their home form this season has been impressive, picking up 29 points from 17 matches.

The Pirates are in their fifth straight season at this level of football, and they have finished ninth and 10th in two of their last three campaigns, so it is somewhat of a surprise to see them battling to remain in Spain's top flight.

Mallorca will take on Getafe, Levante and Real Oviedo in their final three league games of the season, so their destiny is very much in their own hands.

The Pirates have lost each of their last three La Liga fixtures against Villarreal, including a 2-1 defeat in the reverse match earlier this season.

Villarreal are unbeaten against Mallorca since February 2023, and it has been a very successful domestic season for the Yellow Submarine, who have secured more Champions League football for the 2026-27 campaign.

Indeed, Marcelino's side are third in the table, 15 points ahead of fifth-placed Real Betis with four games left, while they are five points clear of Atletico in fourth.

The Yellow Submarine will enter this match off the back of a 5-1 success over Levante, and a strong run of form has seen them win five of their last eight.

Villarreal have the fourth-best away record in Spain's top flight this season, picking up 25 points from 17 matches, and they beat Mallorca 2-1 in the reverse game last term.

The club will appoint a new head coach this summer, though, with Marcelino leaving his post at the end of the campaign, and it is understood that Rayo Vallecano's Inigo Perez is being lined up as his replacement.

Mallorca La Liga form:

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Villarreal La Liga form:

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Team News

Mallorca will be without the services of at least four players through injury on Sunday, with Jan Salas, Mateo Joseph, Antonio Raillo and Marash Kumbulla ruled out of the contest.

Lucas Bergstrom is also a doubt, while Pablo Maffeo will miss out through suspension, with the defender picking up a milestone yellow card in the win over Girona last time out.

Vedat Muriqi has had an exceptional season, finding the back of the net on 21 occasions in La Liga, and the 32-year-old will again lead the Mallorca line on Sunday.

As for Villarreal, Juan Foyth is a long-term absentee, while Pau Cabanes and Logan Costa are both facing late fitness tests before their availability can be determined.

Georges Mikautadze scored twice in the 5-1 success over Levante last time out to take him onto 11 La Liga goals for the campaign, and the Georgia international will again feature in the final third of the field for the Yellow Submarine.

Gerard Moreno is also likely to retain his spot in the XI, with Ayoze Perez expected to be named on the bench for the first whistle.

Mallorca possible starting lineup:

Roman; Sanchez, Valjent, Mascarell, Mojica; Darder, Costa, Morlanes; Torre; Muriqi, Luvumbo

Villarreal possible starting lineup:

Tenas; Freeman, Navarro, Veiga, Pedraza; Pepe, Gueye, Comesana, Moleiro; Mikautadze, Moreno

We say: Mallorca 1-1 Villarreal

Villarreal have been one of the best teams in Spain this season, so this is a tough assignment for Mallorca, but we are expecting the Pirates to be good enough for a point on Sunday.

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