LaLiga: Betis Edge Mallorca to Close in on Top Four

Bakambu's Late strike sends Betis past Mallorca

Real Betis beat Mallorca 2-1, with Cedric Bakambu scoring the winner. Manuel Pellegrini's Betis close in on LaLiga's top four with Mallorca win.

Betis withstood anything Mallorca could throw at them in the dying minutes...

Real Betis edged past Mallorca 2-1, closing in on LaLiga's top four. Manuel Pellegrini's side showed intent from the start, with Marc Roca's 35-yard shot hitting the post early on.

Cedric Bakambu scored the winner, repeating his goal from last season's fixture. Betis' win keeps them in the hunt for Champions League qualification.

However, that proved to be just a warning shot for the hosts’ defence, as former Barcelona winger Abde Ezzalzouli calmly steered home in back-to-back games against Mallorca on 18 minutes, after Roman smartly repelled Antony’s strike from the edge of the box.

FULL-TIME!

We bring the three points home! 💪#MallorcaRealBetis pic.twitter.com/rO0bAYZYMk

— Real Betis Balompié (@RealBetis_en) February 15, 2026

Mallorca’s best chance of the first half came just before the half-hour mark, but star striker Vedat Muriqi could only scuff a close-range header straight at Alvaro Valles from a corner.

Vedat Muriqi's frustrations seemed to fuel Betis, as Bakambu scored from a clever Antony pass in stoppage time. Mallorca's expected response fumbled after restart, with Muriqi getting a yellow card for a failed penalty appeal.

However, that did not deter the veteran forward, as he dragged Mallorca back into the contest just six minutes later, by heading home Samu Costa’s cross for a 16th LaLiga goal of the campaign.

That opened up the game at both ends late on, with a sharp reaction stop from Roman keeping out Pablo Fornals, before the former West Ham United playmaker saw an effort spectacularly headed off the line by David Lopez.

Betis withstood anything Mallorca could throw at them in the dying minutes, duly sealing a third successive league win, which keeps Los Verdiblancos in fifth place for the time being - though still four points behind Atletico Madrid and Villarreal. Meanwhile, Mallorca remain one point below the relegation safety line.