Mallorca celebrated a historic victory on Monday, defeating Real Betis 2-1 in La Liga and ending an 11-year drought against the Andalusian side. The match was filled with drama and excitement, showcasing a thrilling encounter between two determined teams.
The game started with a familiar sight – fan protests. Following a similar occurrence last Friday during the Alaves-Sevilla match, some Betis supporters refused to take their seats in protest against the inconvenient kickoff time. The scheduling of matches on Friday and Monday nights is a growing trend in football, aimed at accommodating TV audiences and managing a congested fixture list. However, it has sparked dissatisfaction among some fans accustomed to traditional weekend and midweek games.
On the pitch, Giovani Lo Celso opened the scoring for Betis in the 7th minute with a powerful strike from 25 meters out. However, Mallorca responded quickly, equalizing just a minute later thanks to a well-taken finish from Dani Rodríguez. The Canadian striker Cyle Larin deserves significant credit for his superb control and clever reverse pass that set up Rodríguez’s goal.
Both teams faced inspired goalkeeping in the second half, with neither side able to break the deadlock. However, in the third minute of stoppage time, Mallorca secured the win. A corner kick wasn’t cleared effectively by Betis, allowing Valery Fernández to fire in a low shot and secure the victory. This win propelled Mallorca to fifth place in the La Liga table with 11 points, three ahead of Betis, despite having played one game more.
