Real Mallorca maintained their push for Champions League qualification after a 2-0 home win over Osasuna.
Ruben and Keita goals boost Champions League bid
Real Mallorca reclaimed fourth spot in La Liga to maintain their push for UEFA Champions League qualification after a 2-0 home win over Osasuna.
Ruben Gonzalez opened the scoring for the hosts on 36 minutes and substitute Alhassane Keita netted a last-minute second to lift Mallorca back above Sevilla in the race for fourth.
Mallorca had won 13 of their 15 league matches at the Ono Estadi prior to this one, with their only defeats coming against Barcelona and Sevilla.
The visitors were on the ropes for much of the first half as Mallorca began with confidence. Felipe Mattioni saw his header parried by Ricardo after 10 minutes and Borja Valero's follow-up effort was blocked by Miguel Flano as the locals began with intent.
Victor Casadesus then fizzed a fierce shot over the bar two minutes later as they continued to threaten.
Osasuna weathered the storm for a while, but Mallorca ended the half with a flourish and Fernando Varela's thunderous drive sailed agonisingly wide after 35 minutes.
Less than a minute later, the locals did take the lead when Ruben sent a brilliant header past Ricardo from a Valero corner.
It was no more than Mallorca deserved and the second half started as the first had finished. Aritz Aduriz made space for himself and fired an impressive shot against the post after 51 minutes.
The Basque striker, a constant threat, then failed to connect properly with an overhead kick and drilled a powerful effort just wide of the target later on in the half.
The hosts will have felt they should have been two ahead by now, but Osasuna were still in it and Javier Camunas missed two good chances to restore parity late in the game.
The visitors committed more men later on and eventually paid the price, though, when Keita raced onto a long ball, charged into the area and beat Ricardo with a clinical left-footed drive in added time.
