Mallorca

Mallorca manager Joaquin Caparros has stressed the importance for his side to start picking up points as quickly as possible after they slipped back into the relegation zone with a 3-1 defeat at Valladolid last weekend. The Islanders have taken just 17 points from their opening 19 games but can take a big step towards survival with a win at fellow strugglers Espanyol on Friday night and Caparros is aware of how much his side must improve in the second-half of the season. He told the club's website: "It is very important. We are conscious that we have to get between 25 and 30 points and the sooner we can start to accumulate them the better because it will give us confidence and allow us not to get anxious. We are aware that we need to get a lot more points than we have done till this point."