Mallorca, penultimate with 32 points, need to defeat Granada on Thursday and wait for a failure from their maximum rivals in the fight for permanence – Celta and Alavés – to reach the final day alive against Osasuna in El Sadar, while the Grenadians will rush their European options.
Only a miraculous carom would prevent the descent of the Majorcans, who are four points from salvation with six to be disputed and who, in full fight to avoid falling into the abyss, this Wednesday they have known the decision of their coach, Vicente Moreno, to leave the bench on Sunday and give up the remaining two years of his contract.
Mallorca will do everything possible so that Granada does not seal their passport to Second and clings to it to the good image it gave in the last two games played at home, resolved with two separate wins against Celta (5-1) and Levante (2-0).
On a decisive day he will face one of the revelation teams of LaLiga – Granada, like Mallorca, played last season in the Second – and will do so without a specialist on the left-handed flank of the defense after the casualties of the injured Baba Rahman , Lumor Agbenyenu and Leonardo Koutris.
Fran Gámez, right back, has occupied that demarcation in recent games but the fifth yellow card he saw last day against Sevilla will prevent him from playing this Thursday.
To occupy that position, Alexsandar Sedlar, Xisco Campos and even Lago Junior, who have played “lane” on other occasions, are running. It is also likely that he will return to the axis of defense Martin Valjent, down against Sevilla due to physical discomfort.
The team relies on the good form of its goalkeeper Manolo Reina, and on the offensive triplet made up of the Japanese Takefusa Kubo, the Colombian Juan Camilo “Cucho” Hernáández and the Croatian Ante Budimir, to keep alive the flame of illusion.
Opposite, Granada will jump in search of a victory that will allow them to keep until the last day, in which they receive Athletic Club, the possibility of reaching a European position for the next campaign.
For this to be possible, the people of Granada will have to win and also wait for the results of other matches of the day to accompany them.
The team led by Diego Martínez faces the match at the best moment in its history as a visitor in the top flight, as it has been able to add three draws and three victories in its last six trips.
After beating Real Sociedad last Friday (2-3) and falling in a tough game on Monday against Real Madrid (1-2), the Andalusians face the duel greatly reduced by injuries and with numerous casualties.
The absences already known due to injury from Álex Martínez, Joaquíín Marín 'Quini', the Frenchman Maxime Gonalons, the Colombian Neyder Lozano, Jesúús Vallejo and Álvaro Vadillo, are joined by the Frenchman Dimitri Foulquier, also injured against Real Madrid.
In addition, the physical condition of three more players remains to be seen: the central defender José Antonio Martínez, absent with muscle problems in the last clash; striker Roberto Soldado, who had no minutes against Real Madrid; and the Venezuelan Darwin Machís, also replaced by physical problems in front of the white box.
Diego Martínez will have to do bobbin lace again to be able to form his starting eleven, to which footballers such as Carlos Neva, the Cameroonian midfielder Yangel Herrera or the attacker Antonio Puertas, substitutes, will return on Monday.
Probable lineups:
Mallorca: Reina; Well, Valjent, Raíllo, Sedlar; Kubo, Baba, Salva Sevilla, Dani Rodrííguez; “Cucho” Hernández and Budimir.
Granada: Rui Silva; Víctor Díaz, Domingos Duarte, Germán, Carlos Neva; Yan Eteki, Yangel Herrera, Antonio Puertas, Fede Vico; Carlos Fernández and Soldado.
Referee: Estrada Fernández (Catalan Committee).
Stadium: Visit Mallorca Estadi
Time: 9:00 p.m. (Movistar LaLiga)
