Girona vs Mallorca Prediction: Home side will avoid defeat

Two sides hovering just above the relegation zone meet on Friday Night as we get towards the pointy end of the La Liga season. Premier Sports 2 is the TV channel for this one for those in the UK with kick-off set for 8PM.

Our Spanish Football expert previews the action and gives us his top two Girona vs Mallorca Predictions plus all the team news, predicted line-ups and stats...

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The relegation battle is heating up in La Liga with 10 teams yet to hit the 40-point figure. It may take more than that to survive this season, which leaves Mallorca and Girona with work to do heading into their Friday night encounter. 

Since recovering from a really poor start that left them propping up the table in September, Girona have blown hot and cold. They were outstanding in their 2-1 Catalan derby win over leaders Barcelona back in February. That result had the potential to serve as a springboard for them to kick on and even push for European football. 

However, they've won just two of their nine league games since then. There was also a creditable 1-1 draw at the Santiago Bernabéu in early April, but back-to-back defeats against Real Betis and Valencia have left Míchel's team looking over their shoulder once more. 

Girona will need to negotiate the final weeks of the season without their top scorer, Vladyslav Vanat. He has suffered an untimely hamstring injury, and Manchester City loanee Claudio Echeverri has been used as a false nine in his absence. 

That strategy has not been entirely successful, but Los Blanquivermells do pose a real threat via the dangerous duo of Viktor Tsygankov and Azzedine Ounahi. Those two have chipped in with a combined total of 11 goals in La Liga this term, and the onus will be on the pair to drive their team forwards in this crucial match. 

Mallorca's relegation concerns are more pressing, given they sit just one point and one place above the bottom three heading into matchday 34. However, they could move above their opponents with a victory at Montilivi. 

Former Argentina international Martín Demichelis was appointed as the new Mallorca boss in February. He immediately installed a more attractive style of football than his predecessor. Jagoba Arrasate's regime had been defined by a dour, direct approach, but the new man placed his faith in young playmaker Pablo Torre, and early results were promising. 

The Balearic Islanders claimed important victories over Espanyol, Real Madrid and Rayo Vallecano to briefly put some distance between themselves and the bottom three. However, with teams around them also picking up results, Demichelis' side remain in danger following a 2-1 loss against fellow strugglers Alavés last time out. 

The visitors can at least count on the services of one of the most dangerous strikers in Europe this season. Vedat Muriqi has already scored 21 times in La Liga. Only Kylian Mbappé can better that tally, and with the Frenchman currently injured, the Kosovo international has a genuine chance of winning the Pichichi. 

*You can check out all of our Football Odds over on betfred.com

Team News: 

Vanat is not the only player that Girona are currently needing to cope without. Portu, Marc-André ter Stegen and Abel Ruiz are also currently injured, while Donny van de Beek is unlikely to feature, despite nearing a return following a torn Achilles tendon. 

First-choice left-back Álex Moreno is suspended, so Míchel will need to make at least one change following a 2-1 defeat at Mestalla last time out. Joel Roca is pushing for a starting role, after coming off the bench to score in that game. 

There are no fresh concerns for Mallorca, with Muriqi expected to be fit, despite not taking part in full training earlier this week. They are still missing Mateo Joseph, Antonio Raíllo, Marash Kumbulla and Jan Salas to injuries. 

The visitors have Zito Luvumbo available again following a hamstring issue. He's likely to be on the bench, with promising youngster Jan Virgili partnering Muriqi in attack, following a brilliant strike last time out. 

Match Odds: 

Girona are the 21/20 favourites to win this match. You can back the Draw at 13/5, while Mallorca are given a 12/5 chance of leaving with maximum points. 

For bigger potential returns on the hosts, you can back Girona to win and Over 2.5 goals at 2/1. They are also given a 5/2 chance of winning the match to nil, while Míchel's side are priced at 1/1 to score over 1.5 goals. 

You can back Mallorca to net over 1.5 goals at 7/4. The visitors are given a 23/20 chance of winning either half, while they're priced at 10/3 to score in both halves. 

While his team may be the underdogs, Muriqi remains the standout option in the Goalscorer markets. The Kosovo international is on offer at 4/1 to score first, and 5/4 to score anytime. 

From a home perspective, Tsygankov is available at 15/8 to get on the scoresheet, while Ounahi is priced at 6/4 to score anytime. 

*You can place a bet on this match and check out all of our Girona vs Mallorca Odds over on betfred.com

Bet 1 - Girona or Draw & Both teams to score @ 21/20 

While Mallorca have improved under Demichelis, their away record remains a concern. It's still just one road win all season for the Balearic Islanders in the league. They're averaging just 0.38 points per game on their travels in the Spanish top flight, which is the worst return in the division. 

Their last two away fixtures have been against direct rivals in the relegation scrap, and both matches ended in 2-1 defeats. They've been scoring and conceding more frequently since the change in the dugout, with both teams netting in six of their last seven matches. 

Seven of the previous 10 Girona games have also served up goals at each end. With home advantage, I'm using the Bet Builder to back the Catalans to win or draw and Both teams to score at 21/20. 

Bet 2 - Mallorca to have under 11.5 shots @ 4/5 

Girona are a team that likes to have the ball and they'll look to dominate on that front here, which will make it tougher for the visitors to get good service up to the dangerous Muriqi. 

Míchel's men have faced less than 10 shots in four of their previous six home games. Even in their 3-2 defeat against Real Betis in their last match at the Estadi Montilivi, they only faced seven attempts. They'll back themselves to have much of the play against a Mallorca side that does not tend to travel well. 

Los Bermellones only managed to have four attempts in their defeat away to Alavés last Saturday. I'm backing the visitors to have under 11.5 shots in this game at odds of 4/5. 

You can check out Mark's Football Betting Tips along with those from the rest of the Betfred Insights Spanish Football writers on our La Liga home page...

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