Mallorca vs Athletic: Arrasate under pressure as Los Leones visit Son Moix
Mallorca host Athletic Club in a crucial La Liga clash this Saturday, with Jagoba Arrasate feeling the heat after last week's controversial defeat to Rayo Vallecano.
Fresh from their midweek Copa del Rey drama, Athletic Club head to the Balearics to face a well-rested but under-pressure Mallorca side in La Liga action.
Match Details
The Son Moix will play host to this Saturday afternoon clash, kicking off at 16:15 local time. While Athletic had to go all the way to extra time in their cup tie against Cultural Leonesa on Tuesday, Mallorca have enjoyed a full week’s preparation having already been knocked out of the cup competition.
Mallorca’s Mounting Pressure
It’s not been a bed of roses for Mallorca recently. They’re sitting on just 18 points in the table after suffering a proper defeat to Rayo Vallecano (2-1) last weekend. That match ended in a right barney with manager Jagoba Arrasate absolutely fuming about a controversial penalty decision against Martin Valjent.
The pressure’s mounting on Arrasate, and another loss here could leave him in serious bother. Word on the street is that the Mallorca board’s patience might be wearing thin - he needs a result, and sharpish.
Athletic’s Cup Marathon
The Basques had to dig deep in their midweek Copa del Rey clash, eventually prevailing 4-3 after extra time against Cultural Leonesa. It was proper end-to-end stuff:
- Cultural took the lead three separate times
- Athletic kept finding equalisers
- The visitors finally secured victory via a penalty in extra time
With 24 points in the league table, Athletic are sitting relatively pretty compared to their hosts, but they’ll need to shake off any tired legs from that midweek marathon.
Broadcast Information
Fans can catch all the action live on DAZN, with kick-off set for 16:15 on Saturday. For those who prefer their football on the wireless, Radio MARCA will have live commentary, while MARCA.com will offer real-time updates and post-match analysis.
The Bottom Line
This has all the makings of a proper Bobby Dazzler. Mallorca desperately need points to ease the pressure on their gaffer, while Athletic will be looking to build on their cup heroics despite potentially heavy legs. The visitors’ extra exertions during the week could be the telling factor in what promises to be an intriguing mid-table clash.