Copa del Rey winners Atletico Madrid resume their league campaign after a short trip to Singapore, and they will want to reward their fans with a win in the final home game of the season. Struggling Mallorca kept their survival chances alive as they beat Real Betis last weekend, but they now need all three points from Vicente Calderon.

Glorious Copa del Rey triumph

Atletico Madrid are slowly returning to old glory days, with the Copa del Rey trophy their third major title in last three years. Los Colchoneros have been on a constant uptrend ever since their former midfielder Diego Simeone took over the reigns from Gregorio Manzano, who is now attempting to avoid the drop with Mallorca. The hosts won’t be too concerned with the fact this is a must-win game for their opponents as they plan to celebrate the Copa del Rey trophy in style and win their final match at Vicente Calderon this season. The players haven’t had too much time to prepare for this clash having spent few days in Singapore during the week and the long trip is likely to have an effect on their performance against Mallorca. It remains to be seen whether Diego Simeone will be fielding his strongest side on Sunday evening, but regardless of the starting line-up the Argentine will demand a serious approach from his men. With both sides hoping to claim maximum points, chances are we are going to see an exciting encounter at Vicente Calderon.

First choice keeper Thibaut Courtois could miss out with a muscle problem, but Diego Simeone has no other injury worries.

Only a win will do

Mallorca have been flirting with relegation for several years now, but this is the first time they find themselves in such a difficult situation. Despite defeating very good Real Betis side last weekend, the Islanders sit three points adrift of safety with just two games to go, although it does appear they can survive by winning their last two league matches. While Gregorio Manzano play Atletico Madrid and Real Valladolid, teams with nothing to play for, their relegation rivals have a much more difficult fixture list and are expected to drop some points in the process. This should give the players an additional boost ahead of the all-important match against Atletico Madrid, with Mallorca hoping their bigger motivation and more serious approach will yield good results. Given that their opponents have no reason to discard their attacking approach, the Islanders should get plenty of chances to hurt the hosts on the break, and no doubts Dos Santos, Hemed and Victor will be ready to pounce on any mistake. Winning in Madrid still seem like a long shot, but I can see Mallorca scoring at least one goal in what should be a very open encounter.

Ximo and Andreu Fontas are back from suspension, but Arizmendi is banned. Joao Victor and Antonio Lopez are out injured.

Verdict

Mallorca should have much bigger motivation here, but don’t expect Atletico to roll over for them. Los Colchoneros want to celebrate the Copa del Rey trophy in the best possible way and they, too, will be looking for a win. Given the circumstances, we could easily see goals galore at Vicente Calderon.

Top pick: Both teams to score   1.73 (8/11) @ Ladbrokes

Alternative pick 1: Over 3 goals   2.05 (21/20) @ bet365

Alternative pick 2: Over 3.5 goals   2.70 (17/10) @ BetVictor

As Seen on TV – World’s Finest Live Casino!

William Hill just rolled out their new high quality live casino room. Every new player at William Hill Live Casino can earn a bonus of £25. Roulette, Blackjack, Baccarat, Sports Roulette & meet SEXY Dealers.

Get Your £25 Cash Bonus!