Sports

The team with the third best home record in La Liga entertained a side on the slide on Monday, as Gregorio Manzano''s Real Mallorca took on Osasuna with issues to be resolved at both ends of the table.

Mallorca were hoping for a 14th win in 16 home games this season to lift them up above Sevilla and into fourth place in the table - the last of the Champions League places - while Osasuna, having lost their previous five away games, were hoping to stop themselves slipping towards the relegation zone.

With so much pressure on both sides it was understandable that the first half produced few clear-cut chances, but on 35 minutes Mallorca forced a corner from a Fernando Valera shot and moments later took the lead.

Borja Volero''s delivery found the head of Ruben Gonzalez and he celebrated his first goal of the season.

Osasuna struggled to carve out opportunities at the other end, but might have equalised with the last action of the half.

Nacho Monreal, Carlos Aranda and Francisco Juanfran all combined from a throw-in and Hungarian international Krisztian Vadocz forced a fine save out of Ricardo in the Real goal.

Osasuna had more of the ball in the second half, but it was the home side which made the most of their time in possession.

Six minutes after the restart, Aritz Aduriz broke free on the left and after cutting inside the Osasuna defence, curled a right foot shot onto the crossbar.

Both sets of players became more nervous after that and Osasuna particularly missed their top scorer, Walter Pandiani, up front. But while they were still only one goal behind, they were still in the game.

It was only until the first minute of stoppage time that Real made the game safe. Guinea international Alhassane Keita, who had only come on as a substitute moments before, was put through on goal by Aduriz and the 26 year-old striker showed great strength and even greater finesse to make it 2-0.

That was how it stayed and Mallorca wrested fourth place in the table back from Sevilla. Osasuna''s sixth consecutive away defeat keeps them in eleventh place and they have yet to escape the pull of the relagation zone.