Barcelona endures a 2-1 defeat against Las Palmas on the occasion of the club’s 125th anniversary.
Barcelona’s 125th anniversary celebrations, as the LaLiga leaders, were spoiled by Las Palmas who pulled off a surprising 2-1 victory on Saturday. Fabio Silva scored the winning goal, extending Barcelona’s winless league streak to three games. Despite dominating the game with 70% possession and nearly 30 shots on goal, Barcelona couldn’t convert their chances while Las Palmas capitalized on their limited opportunities to secure a memorable win. Barcelona remains at the top of the league with 34 points, leading second-placed Real Madrid by four points. However, Real Madrid now has two games in hand. Las Palmas’ victory propelled them to 14th place with 15 points. Barcelona coach Hansi Flick acknowledged the team’s struggles when it comes to scoring goals. He emphasized the need for defensive improvement, stating that if they can’t score, they should focus on keeping a clean sheet. Flick called for better team defending, not just from the backline but from the entire team. From the start of the first half at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys, Las Palmas consistently found spaces in Barcelona’s penalty area. Despite creating a couple of chances that led to goalmouth action, they couldn’t find the breakthrough goal.
Barcelona also suffered a blow in the first half as full back Alejandro Balde was forced off the field due to injury. The 21-year-old was taken off on a golf cart. The Catalans faced difficulties breaking through the Las Palmas defense, but just before halftime, Raphinha embarked on a counter-attacking run and narrowly missed scoring as his shot hit the crossbar. Las Palmas took the lead early in the second half with an impressive passing move that began with goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen and ended with Sandro Ramirez, a former Barcelona player, scoring from the edge of the box. However, Barca’s second-half substitutions, including the introduction of the newly-crowned Golden Boy Lamine Yamal, helped them gain control of the game. They managed to equalize just after the hour mark when Pedri found Raphinha in a small space near the edge of the box. The agile Brazilian winger swiftly turned and unleashed a precise left-footed shot past Cillessen, securing his ninth league goal of the season and making it 1-1. Undeterred, Las Palmas regained their lead when Silva, on loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers, broke through the offside trap and scored after receiving a pass from Javi Munoz. This goal beat goalkeeper Inaki Pena.
The home team fought hard to equalize once again, and Raphinha’s free kick was expertly saved by Cillessen. LaLiga’s leading goal scorer, Robert Lewandowski, had two late opportunities to level the score. Unfortunately, his glancing header missed the target, and his subsequent shot was blocked by the opposing defense. “I am delighted with this significant victory for us. We put in a tremendous amount of effort and faced many challenges. These three points are crucial,” expressed Alberto Moleiro, the midfielder for Las Palmas. “We maintained a tight defensive structure and minimized the space between our lines, which was pivotal. When we had chances in the attacking third, we capitalized on them.”
