Levante secured a crucial 2-0 victory over Mallorca at Estadio Ciudad de Valencia, with Carlos Espí and Kervin Arriaga scoring to lift the hosts away from the relegation zone.
Both teams entered this La Liga encounter locked on 39 points in the battle for survival. Levante sat 19th while Mallorca occupied 18th, making this a pivotal clash near the bottom of the table. The hosts showed recent form with back-to-back wins, while Mallorca struggled with inconsistency. Victory would prove vital for either side's hopes of avoiding the drop.
Levante started brightly and took the lead in the 32nd minute through Espí. The defender fired home to give the hosts an early advantage in their survival fight. Referee decisions dominated the opening period as Nicolás Pérez received a yellow card for Levante in the 30th minute.
Mallorca controlled possession with 71 percent of the ball but created few clear chances. The visitors completed 538 passes with 88 percent accuracy, yet their expected goals stood at just 0.35. Levante's goalkeeper Mathew Ryan made three saves to keep his team ahead at the interval.
The second half saw Mallorca continue their possession-based approach. However, they could not break down Levante's defense or find the back of the net. Ryan remained composed in goal, frustrating the visitors' attacking efforts throughout the period.
The match turned chaotic in the 86th minute when Jon Ander Mojica received a red card for Mallorca. Moments later, Rubén Brugué also saw red for Levante, leaving both teams reduced to ten men. The numerical disadvantage failed to slow Levante's momentum.
Kervin Arriaga sealed the result with a goal in the 87th minute, just seconds after the double dismissals. The midfielder's finish delivered a decisive blow to Mallorca's survival hopes. Arriaga earned a rating of 8.3 for his all-around display, making six tackles alongside his goal.
Levante added a penalty through Adrián de la Fuente in the 90+6th minute to reach a comprehensive 2-0 scoreline. The late addition capped a dominant defensive performance by the hosts. Ryan's three saves proved instrumental in maintaining the clean sheet.
The statistics told a story of Levante's efficiency. Despite Mallorca's 71 percent possession, Levante managed 12 shots to their opponents' 9. The hosts registered 3 shots on target compared to Mallorca's 3, showing clinical finishing when opportunities arose.
This victory moves Levante to 42 points with one match remaining. Mallorca remains on 39 points, their survival hopes now hanging by a thread. The three-point gap could prove decisive in the final day's dramatic conclusion.
