Mallorca vs Girona: Catalan strugglers eye relegation escape at fortress Son Moix
Girona aim to climb out of the drop zone with a rare away win at Mallorca, who have proven nearly impenetrable at home this season.
A proper six-pointer to kick off 2026 as Mallorca welcome relegation-threatened Girona to Son Moix, where the visitors could leapfrog their hosts and escape the drop zone following Valencia’s defeat.
Mallorca looking to turn the page
Jagoba Arrasate’s men are desperate to put 2025’s sporting disappointments behind them as they open the new year. The gaffer himself has expressed the simple aim of adding “the number 2” in front of their points tally – straight to the point, that one.
The home side enter the match with nearly a full squad:
- Omar Mascarell returns just in time after African Cup duties with Equatorial Guinea
- Only goalkeeper Iván ‘Pichu’ Cuéllar unavailable through injury
- Dani Rodríguez officially departed after nearly eight seasons with the club
The occasion will carry extra emotional weight with a pre-match tribute to recently deceased former president Miquel Contestí, a proper Mallorca legend who’ll be honored before kickoff.
Girona’s chance for consecutive away joy
The Catalans closed out 2025 on a sour note, getting stuffed 3-0 at home by Atlético Madrid to remain stuck in the relegation places. However, there’s a glimmer of hope after their surprise comeback win at Real Sociedad – only their first away victory of the season.
Michel’s squad faces a crucial January that could define their season:
- Still awaiting Claudio Echeverri’s arrival and a goalkeeper to challenge Gazzaniga
- Long-term absentees Portu and Van de Beek remain sidelined
- Stuani and Abel Ruiz unavailable for selection
- Krapyvtsov returns to the squad while Livakovic sorts his future elsewhere
The history books don’t offer much comfort for the visitors. Son Moix has been a proper bogey ground for Girona in La Liga – they’ve managed just one win in nine previous visits, which came over a decade ago in the 2014/15 season. The remaining eight trips have yielded six losses and two draws. Proper nightmare, that.
Battle of the big men
The clash features two formidable frontmen in Muriqi and Vedat. Mallorca’s Muriqi has been in blinding form with nine goals already, many proving decisive in tight matches. Meanwhile, Girona’s Vedat is gradually finding his rhythm, and his effectiveness in front of goal could determine whether the visitors escape the drop zone.
A win for Girona would give them consecutive away victories and potentially the boost needed to climb toward safety, while Mallorca aim to maintain their fortress-like home record and distance themselves from the relegation scrap.