Spanish defender Pablo Maffeo’s early goal was enough to drive Mallorca to a 1-0 victory over Cadiz, denying them the chance to move farther away from the relegation zone in La Liga.

Cadiz dropped to 15th position after their second straight defeat, although they are just one point ahead of 18th-placed Getafe.

Pablo Maffeo scored the game’s only goal, finishing off Iddrisu Baba’s powerful header. Cadiz custodian Jeremas Ledesma made a frantic attempt to save the ball, but it deflected into his crossbar.

Mallorca maintained 12th after Javier Aguirre’s squad reinforced their defence in the final minutes to secure the three crucial points.