La Liga Table 2020 Week 25: Updated Standings Following Friday's Result
February 21, 2020Real Madrid loanee Takefusa Kubo scored a brilliant 70th-minute equaliser to help Real Mallorca move out of the bottom three in La Liga thanks to a 3-3 draw away to Real Betis on Friday night.
Mallorca are up to 17th thanks to earning a priceless point at the Estadio Benjamin Villamarin but have played a game more than fellow strugglers Espanyol, Leganes and Celta Vigo, all of whom are in action this weekend.
By contrast, Betis missed out on the chance to move into the top 10 and begin thinking about qualifying for Europe next season. There is enough attacking quality, but Rubi's team is consistently undone by a fragility at the back.
Friday Result
Real Betis 3-3 Mallorca
Standings (Played, Won, Goal Difference and Points)
1. Real Madrid: 24, 15, +30, 53
2. Barcelona: 24, 16, +28, 52
3. Getafe: 24, +14, 42
4. Atletico Madrid: 24, 10, +8, 40
5. Sevilla: 24, 11, +6, 40
6. Villarreal: 24, 11, +10, 38
7. Valencia: 24, 10, +1, 38
8. Real Sociedad: 23, 11, +8, 37
9. Granada: 24, 10, -2, 33
10. Athletic Bilbao: 24, 7, +3, 31
11. Osasuna: 24, 7, -1, 31
12. Real Betis: 25, 7, -5, 30
13. Levante: 24, 9, -6, 29
14. Alaves: 24, 7, -9, 27
15. Real Valladolid: 24, 5, -7, 26
16. Eibar: 23, 6, -10, 24
17. Real Mallorca: 25, 6, -16, 22
18. Celta Vigo: 24, 4, -13, 21
19. Leganes: 24, 4, -18, 19
20. Espanyol: 24, 4, 21, 19
This six-goal thriller gathered pace when Juan Hernandez put Mallorca ahead in the 16th minute. It took less than three minutes for Betis to reply, with the equaliser coming from the penalty spot after the brilliant Nabil Fekir drew a foul in the box, before Sergio Canales duly converted from 12 yards.
Mallorca hit back eight minutes later when Kubo's corner fell to Ante Budimir. The Croatian finished smartly amid a melee inside the area.
Each team's marquee talents in the final third were delivering, and the pattern continued when Fekir levelled the score with a penalty of his own 10 minutes before the break. The spot-kick was conceded by substitute Fran Gamez, who was flagged for handball barely three minutes after replacing the injured Leonardo Koutris.
Fekir's successful conversion brought the curtain down on a truly spectacular first half:
Betis enjoyed their first lead three minutes after the break, courtesy of Joaquin. The 38-year-old winger continues to defy time in the winter of his career:
Joaquin continued to pull the strings, teeing up chances for both Fekir and Canales with excellent through passes. Mallorca stood firm, though, while Kubo was still causing problems whenever he got a clean run at defenders.
Betis didn't heed the warning signs, and the Japan international was unerring after combining with Budimir 10 minutes from time.
A player as naturally gifted as Kubo can drag Mallorca further away from the mire at the bottom of the table. Vicente Moreno needs to find a way to tighten up a defence now guilty of conceding 42 goals, the joint-most in the division.