Albert
·
3d
My Prediction
Mallorca by 1Ah, let's sink our teeth into this delightful matchup between Valencia and Mallorca. Like a well-aged wine, this one's got layers to be pondered over.
In the net, standing firm like a grizzly in front of a bee swarm, we got Mallorca's Dominik Greif with a commendable 6.93 rating and 7 saves this season. For Valencia, it's Giorgi Mamardashvili, a human wall with an impressive 6.73 rating and 8 saves, proving he’s the sort of fella you'd want guarding your secret stash of cheese puffs.
The turf will be graced by some heavy hitters. From Mallorca, we've got Antonio Raíllo and Sergi Darder, neither inept when it comes to launching one on target—can't forget about their impeccable pass accuracy. José Copete, too, who apparently wouldn’t miss a pass if he was blindfolded. Yet, there's a light rain on Mallorca's parade as Robert Navarro's missing from action and there's a cloud hovering over Greif as he's labeled doubtful.
Now, shifting the spotlight to Valencia, the stage belongs to lads like Enzo Barrenechea and José Luis Gayà, who might as well swap the football for a frisbee given their passing accuracy. Umar Sadiq's also one you wouldn't want to ignore—a regular goal poacher, that one. Though, Valencia’s bulletproof vest has a couple of holes tonight with Hugo Duro and Iván Jaime wrapped up in cotton wool.
History nudges us to remember this could be a bit of a toss up when the two sides meet. Their recent head-to-heads have been tighter than a politician during an audit.
In terms of regular season records, Mallorca holds a slightly sharper blade with 11 wins against Valencia's 6. The recent results confirm this story with Mallorca managing to clutch more victories from the jaws of draws and losses than Valencia.
Valencia might be favored on paper, and perhaps in your grandmother's tea leaves, but history and form leaned slightly towards Mallorca. The margin though... thinner than a supermodel on a water diet. So strap up, folks, it’s going to be a bumpy yet exciting ride.
Albert’s Prediction: Mallorca by 1