Real Sociedad vs Real Mallorca

21/02/2011

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Today’s secondary featured game is the Spanish Primera Liga encounter between Real Sociedad and Real Mallorca. This game is being played in the Basque country so the advantage is already with the hosts as it is.

I’ve been impressed with Real Sociedad when playing at Anoeta this season, it has to be said. I knew they were a physical side that most sides would struggle to overcome but I didn’t envision them winning as many home games as they have. Sociedad have actually won seven out of eleven Primera Liga home games, including a derby victory against bitter rivals Athletic Club de Bilbao, so they do need to be taken seriously. In fact, the only sides to win against Real Sociedad in San Sebastian this season are Villarreal CF, Sevilla CF, Real Madrid, and Atletico Madrid respectively so you can see how strong Sociedad are at home and that it generally takes a certain type of team to beat them i.e. one that can score more goals than they can. Barring Xabi Prieto, Mikel Aranburu, and David Zurutuza, Sociedad lack any kind of creativity in their team and tend to rely on brute force to guide themselves to wins. However, it’s the experience of Raul Tamudo and Joseba Llorente that have given them wins due to their years in the Primera Liga and ability to score goals as a result. Sadly, former academy boy Llorente misses this game tonight which places the burden of goalscoring solely upon Tamudo’s shoulders but he’s able to handle it – he’s a good player and knows how to find the net. Sociedad are a well-organised unit and tend to be very hard to break down although their one Achilles heel is the full-back area, where they always seem to be beaten easily. Nonetheless, this Sociedad is incredibly solid at home – only the four “superior” teams that I’ve mentioned have even scored here so don’t underestimate the newly-promoted hosts here.

Real Mallorca may enter this game on the back of a win but it was largely down to the poor display of their opponents that they won, in all truth. Laudrup’s Mallorca aren’t convincing at all, especially from a consistency perspective, so I can’t take them seriously here. Mallorca have lost three out of their last five games and failed to score in all three defeats so I think it’s fair to write their last game off as a “one-off”. Mallorca have already lost seven out of eleven Primera Liga away games this season due to inept defending (which means they average conceding two goals per away game) and ineffectual tactical approaches. Mallorca did part with some big players in summer but they do every summer – they’re a feeder club – that’s their role. I can’t accept that they’re as poor as they are now just because of those sales. Their new players haven’t bedded too well and they’re short on creativity, especially without Castro, who unfortunately is available for this game tonight. They lack goalscorers, creativity, and cohesion on a large scale, which is why they generally don’t get anything away from home and which is a big problem when going to the Basque country, home of the spirited sides.

For me, Mallorca should be beaten easily here. That’s some “famous last words”, I know, but Sociedad are everything that Mallorca aren’t in terms of a unit. Ironically, I’d probably argue the case that Mallorca have better individuals than Sociedad but as a unit, Mallorca are nothing here. Ability counts for very little when you’re crammed in against a Sociedad 4-5-1 on the small Anoeta pitch which is why so many sides struggle here. It takes a very special display or a very good side to get a result here and I just don’t see Mallorca being able to produce either. Mallorca are missing integral centre-back Ramis, which is a massive blow for them. For me, there’s value on the home win at evens but also a cheeky punt on Sociedad winning without conceding at a generous 12/5 is very appealing here.

Team news – Real Sociedad miss Labaka, Llorente, and Carlos Martinez whereas Real Mallorca miss Victor Casadesus, Ivan Rams, Tomeu Nadal, Sergi Enrich, and Tomas Pina.

Verdict: Real Sociedad to win at evens.

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My tips:

Nothing else interests me today, sorry guys!

Accumulator fodder:

Omonia Nicosia

Recommended bets:

Omonia Nicosia and Real Sociedad at 2/1.

For my thoughts on the remainder of today’s games, see below!

Argentinian Primera Division:

Arsenal de Sarandi vs Tigre (6) 1-0
Godoy Cruz de Mendoza vs San Lorenzo de Almagro (5) 1-0

Cypriot Division 1:

Omonia Nicosia vs Enosis Neon Paralimni (8) over 2.5 goals

English FA Cup:

West Ham United vs Burnley (4) both sides to score

French Ligue 2:

Boulogne vs Le Mans (7)

German Bundesliga 2:

Hertha BSC Berlin vs Energie Cottbus (6) over 2.5 goals

Italian Serie B:

Varese vs Frosinone (6)

Portuguese Liga Sagres:

Sporting Clube de Lisboa vs SL Benfica (5) both sides to score, at least one red card in this game

Singaporean S-League:

Woodlands Wellington vs Albirex Niigata (5) 1-1

Spanish Primera Liga:

Real Sociedad vs Real Mallorca (6) 1-0

Swiss Challenge League:

Lugano vs Vaduz (6) over 2.5 goals, both sides to score

Turkish Super Lig:

Manisaspor vs Trabzonspor (6) 1-1

Enjoy your free betting tips!