Real Betis will try to shake off the disappointment of their European exit in midweek when they face mid-table Mallorca in La Liga at Sunday lunchtime.

Manuel Pellegrini's side lost home and away to Manchester United in the Europa League round of 16, while Mallorca battled out a creditable 1-1 league draw with Real Sociedad last weekend.

Match preview

Despite making the second-fewest fouls in La Liga this season, Betis have racked up the second-most red cards - Mallorca, by contrast, have recorded the most fouls and bookings in the Spanish top flight, but only two clubs have received fewer sendings off.

Fittingly, when these sides met in Mallorca on the second weekend of the season, 15 yellow cards were dished out in a feisty encounter which descended into an angry crowd at the full-time whistle.

Betis did not collect a single card of any colour in a tame 1-0 defeat at home to Manchester United on Thursday, although the club already had one foot out of the Europa League after losing 4-1 at Old Trafford in the first leg.

Pellegrini's side are yet to earn a win in March but remain fifth in La Liga, going into the weekend three points behind Real Sociedad in the race for the final Champions League spot.

Over the last month, Betis have been involved in some helter-skelter matches; losing 4-3 at home to Celta Vigo before beating Almeria and Real Valladolid by the same hectic 3-2 scoreline; there is little certainty about Pellegrini's side - other than they are a must-watch.

Unlike many of their fans returning from trips to Manchester and beyond, Betis have not suffered from a European hangover this season; the Seville-based side have not lost a league match immediately after a Europa League tie this season, taking 15 points from seven such games.

For Mallorca, being so far clear of the relegation zone - six points and eight places after last weekend - is akin to qualifying for Europe; the club were in Spain's third tier as recently as 2018 and only avoided returning to the Segunda last year by one point.

Carlos Fernandez gave Real Sociedad the lead inside three minutes against Mallorca last weekend but Javier Aguirre made a pair of tactical alterations during the interval and one of his half-time substitutions, Abdon Prats, flicked the ball on for Kang-in Lee to equalise against the Champions League chasers within five minutes of the restart.

At 69 and 64 respectively, Pellegrini and Aguirre are two of the oldest managers in La Liga - the pair first faced off in opposite dugouts back in 2004, when Pellegrini's Juan Roman Riquelme-inspired Villarreal beat Aguirre's Osasuna 3-0.

Team News

Betis' exciting 22-year-old winger Luiz Henrique will miss out this weekend after collecting his fifth yellow card of the campaign in a 1-1 draw with Villarreal last Sunday.

Fellow young forward Juan Cruz broke into the first-team setup shortly before the World Cup hiatus - scoring his maiden La Liga goal against Real Sociedad in October - but has been struggling with muscular issues since the Spanish top flight resumed.

Nabil Fekir, arguably Betis' most talented player, has been ruled out for the remainder of the season after rupturing his cruciate ligament in February.

The Brazilian left-back Abner limped off against Manchester United on Thursday but has a natural replacement in the form of Juan Miranda.

Aguirre will once again be able to call upon top scorer Vedat Muriqi after the Kosovo international served his one-game suspension last weekend - the aerially dominant striker is integral to Mallorca's direct approach and is responsible for 45% of the team's league goals.

Real Betis possible starting lineup:
Silva; Sabaly, Pezzella, Ruiz, Miranda; Rodriguez, Carvalho; Ruibal, Canales, Juanmi; Iglesias

Mallorca possible starting lineup:
Rajkovic; Maffeo, Nastasic, Raillo, Gonzalez, Costa; Baba, Ruiz de Galaretta; Rodriguez; Lee, Muriqi

We say: Real Betis 2-1 Mallorca

Mallorca have made a habit of gleefully derailing numerous top-six sides this season; Aguirre's scrappers have beaten Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and Villarreal (twice) this term.

However, the island side have lost each of their last five away games - a streak Betis may well extend this weekend, but not without a fight from the battling islanders.


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