Alavés secured a vital victory in their battle against relegation, defeating Real Betis 2-1 at the Mendizorrotza and ending a seven-match winless streak at home in LaLiga.

The win brought much-needed relief to Eduardo Coudet’s side, who had entered the game in the bottom three after a difficult run of form.

Alavés faced a Betis team that had lost just once away all season but made an electric start, taking the lead in the third minute. Carlos Vicente’s persistence down the right paid off as he linked with Lucas Boye before firing a first-time strike past Antonio Sivera.

Betis, weakened by injuries, tried to respond, with Cedric Bakambu forcing Alavés’ keeper into a save, but the hosts remained a constant threat. Jonny Otto had a clear chance to extend the lead but fired wide after being set up by Toni Martínez. Betis appeared to win a penalty when Abde Ezzalzouli went down following a clash with Nahuel Tenaglia, but VAR overturned the decision, leaving the first half goalless for the visitors.

Alavés doubled their advantage within two minutes of the restart. Toni Martínez met a Pablo Ibáñez cross with a header that Sivera could only parry onto the post before it nestled in the back of the net.

Betis struggled to respond, with Pablo Ibáñez forcing a save from distance and Chimy Ávila seeing a free-kick deflected over the bar. The Argentine forward also failed to connect with a looping shot inside the box that could have reduced the deficit.

Abde did manage a late consolation in stoppage time, poking the ball past Sivera at the near post, but the effort came too late to alter the result. It was a frustrating night for Manuel Pellegrini’s side, who suffered only their second away league defeat of the season and remain nine points off the top four.

For Alavés, the win was a major boost. The three points lifted Coudet’s men out of the relegation zone and into 15th place, marking a strong home run with just two defeats in their last 10 competitive games at the Mendizorrotza (W6, D2).