Real Betis strengthened their push for a UEFA Champions League spot in LaLiga with a hard-fought 2–1 victory away to Mallorca, as Cedric Bakambu once again proved decisive in this fixture.
The visitors looked dangerous from the opening minutes in Palma. Marc Roca nearly gave them an early lead when his ambitious 35-yard strike struck the post after a poor clearance from Mallorca goalkeeper Leo Román.
Betis’ early warning soon turned into a breakthrough. Former Barcelona winger Abde Ezzalzouli finished calmly in the 18th minute, netting in consecutive meetings with Mallorca after Román had pushed away Antony’s long-range effort.
Mallorca’s clearest chance before the break arrived just before the half-hour mark, but leading striker Vedat Muriqi failed to make it count, glancing a close-range header straight at Álvaro Valles from a corner.
The hosts were made to pay for that miss in first-half stoppage time. Antony slipped a clever pass through the defence, and Bakambu applied a clinical finish to double Betis’ advantage.
Mallorca struggled to respond after the restart, although Muriqi remained their main threat.
After being booked for a failed penalty appeal around the hour mark, the Kosovo international made amends six minutes later, heading in Samu Costa’s cross to pull one back and register his 16th league goal of the season.
The closing stages were open and tense. Román produced a sharp save to deny Pablo Fornals, while David López later cleared another effort off the line to keep Mallorca in the contest.
Despite the late pressure, Betis held firm to secure a third straight league win. The result keeps Manuel Pellegrini’s side in fifth place, four points behind Atlético Madrid and Villarreal, while Mallorca remain just below the safety line.
