A summary of Tuesday night’s La Liga fixtures as the season enters its critical final stages.
RCD Mallorca 1-1 Valencia: Mallorca Missed Opportunities
Martin Demichelis expressed regret over RCD Mallorca’s missed chances in their draw against Valencia at Son Moix. After a hard-fought first half, Samu Costa put Mallorca ahead in the 49th minute with a header from a precise Sergi Darder cross. Mallorca then dominated, with Valencia struggling to cope. Jan Virgili’s effort was well saved by Stole Dimitrievski, and Pepelu cleared a close-range attack off the line.
Valencia did respond, with Largie Ramazani forcing a sharp save from Leo Roman shortly after the hour mark. However, in the 67th minute, Luis Rioja played a perfectly timed ball in behind for Javi Guerra, who cleverly flicked it to the back post where Umar Sadiq was on hand to score with a header.
Valencia’s resurgence was short-lived, as Virgili tested Dimitrievski again, and Costa headed over. Despite feeling they had done enough to win, Mallorca had to settle for a draw, leaving them in 14th and Valencia in 13th, separated by only a point and still hovering just above the relegation zone.
Athletic Club 1-0 Osasuna: Unai Simon’s Stellar Performance
Athletic Club started strongly at San Mames, creating problems for the Osasuna defense. In the 16th minute, Nico Williams cut inside and forced a save from Sergio Herrera, with Gorka Guruzeta on hand to tap in the rebound. Osasuna failed to register a single shot in the first half.
The second half saw a shift in momentum. Ten minutes in, Unai Simon made a crucial save, denying Ante Budimir from the penalty spot with a low effort to his left. Osasuna increased the pressure, forcing Athletic to defend resolutely. Budimir appeared to have broken their resistance with a powerful header, but Simon was agile, flying out to tip the ball onto the post.
In stoppage time, Mikel Jauregizar received a second yellow card. However, spurred on by the home crowd, with Inaki Williams even celebrating defensive clearances, Athletic held on for a vital three points.
These crucial points move Athletic Club up to 9th place, just a point adrift of European qualification. Osasuna, now in 10th, two points behind Athletic, will lament their inability to convert their improved second-half opportunities.
Girona 2-3 Real Betis: Isco’s Return and Los Verdiblancos Victorious
Real Betis emerged victorious in a thrilling encounter at Montilivi, a match highlighted by the return of Isco. The scoring began in the seventh minute when Claudio Echeverri’s skillful footwork led to a blocked shot, which Viktor Tsygankov finished into the net. Girona were enjoying a good spell, but in the 23rd minute, Marc Roca controlled a ball on the edge of the box, took a touch past Fran Beltran, and found the bottom right corner, shifting the momentum to the visitors.
The game remained open with both teams pushing for a win. Betis took the lead in the 63rd minute when Cedric Bakambu broke clear of the defense and squared the ball to Ez Abde for an easy finish. However, just five minutes later, Girona equalized. Joel Roca won a penalty after beating Aitor Ruibal, which Azzedine Ounahi converted into the top left corner. Just as Girona seemed to be building momentum, Betis struck back.
The defining moment of the evening was the return of Isco after a five-month layoff. Coming on in the 76th minute, seven minutes later, he received a chest pass from Ez Abde. Isco then released a perfectly weighted first-time pass down the left channel into space. Abde latched onto it and cut the ball back to Rodrigo Riquelme, who had ample time to finish from the penalty spot.
It was a disappointing result for Girona, who played well but remain 11th, six points clear of the relegation zone. For Real Betis, this was their first La Liga victory in two months and a timely boost following their Europa League elimination. It also opens up a five-point gap to Celta Vigo before they face Barcelona, solidifying Betis’s 5th position in the table.
Real Madrid 2-1 Alaves: Vinicius Apologises to Fans
Real Madrid secured a 2-1 victory against Alaves, with goals from Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe. Vinicius Junior later issued an apology to the fans. A full match report is available here.
