REAL MADRID v REAL MALLORCA
Football : Spain : Primera
Sunday 23rd January 2011

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Regular readers of this column will know how successful we have been backing Real Madrid to win by 1 or 2 goals this year.

Last weekend I deviated from that system and predicted a big win for Madrid with disastrous consequences. Madrid stumbled to a draw at an unfancied Almeria side who had shipped 8 against Barcelona.

To make the same mistake twice is foolish, so we return to the original strategy but with a slightly different bet this week.

The fact of the matter is that Madrid arent fluid or exciting. Mourinho teams get the job done, particularly at home. They win, but theres only a couple of visitors that they have put to the sword.

And theres no reason to doubt they will roll Mallorca over in the same way they have the other visitors to the Bernebeu this season.

Mallorca are a decent enough side. Despite financial challenges theyve managed to tread water in the top flight this season on the back of decent home results and a couple of shock wins at Valencia and Seville.

Theyve also got a decent record at the Bernebeu. Two wins in the last six years is pretty good, although they lost here last year by two goals.

But when they do lose away, as we expect them to at the Bernebeu, they usually lose by 2 or 3.

Three goal defeats are statistically not as frequent as you would imagine, but Mallorca have suffered by that scoreline more than you would expect this year. Their last league away match saw a 3 goal defeat at out of sorts Atletico, so theres no reason to think Madrid cant do something similar.

And so with that in mind the bet has to be Real Madrid to win by 2 or 3 goals.

The Statistics :

The Pick :

Real Madrid 3 Real Mallorca 0

FIXED ODDS BETTING :

Comdine Real Madrid to win by 2 or 3 goals at 4.33 and 5 respectively at