Real Madrid will look to survive a home date with mid-table side RCD Mallorca on Sunday as they prepare for a brief time without talisman Karim Benzema.
The French striker suffered a thigh injury during the midweek Champions League group stage opener against Celtic, limping off in the first half and replaced by Eden Hazard. The Belgian substitute would go on to score in the eventual 3-0 win, but Benzema's injury shrouds an otherwise excellent performance in Scotland.
Los Blancos sit first in the LaLiga table, a perfect four wins in four through the start of league play this season. It hasn't always been simple, conceding a goal in every match while failing to keep a single clean sheet to date, but on all occasions, the three points were managed.
After finishing 16th last season, Mallorca have five points through their first four matches, most recently finishing all square with Girona. The early haul is good enough for 11th in the table, just below Valencia and Real Sociedad.
MORE: Updated list of La Liga top goal scorers for 2022/23
Real Madrid vs. Mallorca TV channel, live stream
| UK | USA | Canada | Australia | |
| Date | Sun, Sept. 11 | Sun, Sept. 11 | Sun, Sept. 11 | Sun, Sept. 11 |
| Time | 13:00 BST | 08:00 ET | 08:00 ET | 22:00 AET |
| TV channel | Premier Sports 1, La Liga TV | — | — | — |
| Streaming | Premier Player HD | ESPN+ | TSN Direct, TSN site/app | Optus Sport |
UK: Sunday's match between Real Madrid and Mallorca from the Bernabeu can be watched on Premier Sports 1 or LaLigaTV, with streaming available via Premier Player.
USA: All La Liga fixtures in the United States are broadcast via ESPN's premium streaming service ESPN+.
Canada: In Canada, La Liga matches are broadcast and streamed by La Liga partner TSN.
Australia: In Australia, La Liga matches are broadcast and streamed by La Liga partner Optus Sport.
MORE: Celtic vs. Real Madrid result, highlights and analysis
Real Madrid vs. Mallorca projected lineups & team news
While it's hopeful Benzema could return from his thigh injury in time for the Madrid derby next Sunday, it will be Hazard replacing him against Mallorca as he did in midweek vs. Celtic, earning praise from Carlo Ancelotti, who called it "a perfect game" for the Belgian. He will suit up from the start against Mallorca, deployed as a false nine, or "a bit deeper" as Ancelotti put it.
In midfield, Aurelien Tchouameni has begun life at Real Madrid brilliantly, taking over for the departed Casemiro with aplomb. But reports in Spain indicate that Eduardo Camavinga could replace him for this match as part of a series of changes to the lineup. The others could see Luka Modric, Fede Valverde and Dani Carvajal getting a breather.
Meanwhile at the back, given a thigh injury will rule out Eder Militao, it will be David Alaba, and Antonio Rudiger teaming up at center-back. Right-back Alvaro Odriozola (calf) is the other injury absence.
Real Madrid projected starting lineup (4-3-3): Courtois (GK) — Mendy, Rudiger, Alaba, Vazquez — Ceballos, Camavinga, Kroos — Vinicius, Hazard, Rodrygo.
Mallorca manager Javier Aguirre has kept his starting lineup mostly consistent through the start of the La Liga season.
Last match, Aguirre made just one change, sending starting midfielder Clement Grenier to the bench for Antonio Sanchez. Grenier had picked up a yellow card in each of the team's first three matches, meaning his use moving forward comes with risk.
Forward Kang-in Lee, a 21-year-old World Cup hopeful for South Korea, has been one of the league's best forwards to start the year, owning a goal and two assists through the first four games of the season. He is a dribble machine, second in La Liga with 10 successful take-ons, juts one behind William Carvalho of Real Betis.
Mallorca projected starting lineup (5-3-2): Rajkovic (GK) — Costa, Valjent, Raillo, Copete, Maffeo — A. Sanchez, Rodriguez, Battaglia — Muriqi, Lee.
📋✅ Our squad for #RealMadridRCDMallorca! pic.twitter.com/1znzlD5A22
— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) September 10, 2022
Real Madrid vs. Mallorca betting pick & prediction
Odds via Caesars (USA), Sports Interaction (Canada), & SkyBet (UK).
Real Madrid are heavily favored even given the uncertainty surrounding Karim Benzema's injury. Los Blancos proved midweek that they are dangerous even in the Frenchman's short-term absence, although anything long-term could present an entirely different problem.
For now, there is a plethora of attacking talent at the Bernabeu to cover up Benzema's absence, and Mallorca will do well to keep the others from scoring at will.
Mallorca have won just once against Real Madrid across their last 12 meetings, a 1-0 result at home in 2019. Since, they've lost three in a row to Madrid by a combined 11-1, including a 6-1 drubbing at the Bernabeu a year ago.
- Pick: Both teams to score (-115 on Caesars)
- Prediction: Real Madrid 3-1 Mallorca
| Caesars | Sports Interaction | SkyBet | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Real Madrid win | -360 | 1.28 | 2/7 |
| Draw | +480 | 5.61 | 19/4 |
| Mallorca win | +950 | 9.00 | 9/1 |
| Both teams to score Y / N | -115 / -115 | 1.77 / 1.84 | 4/5, 10/11 |
| Over / Under 3.5 goals | +115 / -145 | 2.13 / 1.64 | 8/13, 6/5 |
| Real Madrid -1.5 | -135 | 1.77 | — |
| Dog +1.5 | +105 | 1.98 | — |
