Deportivo La Coruna will host Mallorca on Tuesday in the Copa del Rey round of 32 at Riazor. The matchup marks a significant encounter, seeing a Segunda Division team challenge a La Liga opponent for the first time this season.
Match Preview
As 2024 Copa del Rey runners-up, Mallorca enters this match as the favorite. The team is currently part of Spain’s elite league, La Liga, and is unbeaten in its last four matches across all competitions. Recently, Mallorca secured a 3-1 win over Elche in La Liga.
In the previous round, Mallorca faced off against Numancia, winning 3-2. They initially boasted a comfortable three-goal lead but allowed their opponents to claw back two goals. Mallorca has not been able to claim major silverware since their Copa del Rey triumph in 2002-03.
Deportivo La Coruna’s Performance
Deportivo, the hosts, are currently positioned second in Segunda Division. Despite a previous seven-game winning streak, they have recently lost their last two matches. The team’s journey in the Copa del Rey continued with a convincing 2-0 victory over third-tier Sabadell.
This match will be their first encounter since 2019 when Mallorca won 3-0 and earned promotion to La Liga that season. Historically, Deportivo has the upper hand, winning 11 of the 28 meetings between the teams.
Form Guide
The current forms of both teams are as follows:
- Deportivo La Coruna Segunda Division: WWWWLL
- Deportivo La Coruna (all competitions): WWWWLL
- Mallorca La Liga: LWLDDW
- Mallorca (all competitions): WLDWDW
Team News
As the winter break approaches, Mallorca is fortunate to have a mostly healthy squad, although Manuel Morlanes is sidelined due to an adductor injury. Forward Vedat Muriqi has been a standout player, scoring in nine of his 15 league appearances this season. However, they will be without Omar Mascarell, who is participating in the Africa Cup of Nations.
Deportivo’s injury list includes Sergio Escudero, who has a muscle issue and will not feature in the match. Manager Antonio Hidalgo may rely on forwards Zakaria Eddahchouri and Yeremy Hernandez, who together have made 23 goal contributions this season.
Predicted Lineups
| Deportivo La Coruna | Mallorca |
|---|---|
| German | Bergstrom |
| Mella | Maffeo |
| Loureiro | Valient |
| Comas | Kumbulla |
| Barcia | Lato |
| Quagliata | Costa |
| Patino | Sanchez |
| Angel | Joseph |
| Soriano | Darder |
| Stoichkov | Virgili |
| Hernandez | Muriqi |
In summary, while Deportivo will aim for a spirited performance on home turf, Mallorca’s top-flight talent and recent cup experience may give them the edge in this tightly contested match.
