This Saturday, UD Las Palmas spoiled the celebration of its 125th anniversary against Barcelona (1-2), which chained the third game without knowing victory in LaLiga and could lose the leadership of the competition if the real Madrid wins the two pending matches he has to play.
After losing to the Royal Society (1-0) and draw against Celta (2-2), the Barça team still cannot get out of the slump in which they are installed in the domestic competition, in a duel in which the Canaries achieved a historic victory, since they had not won in Barcelona since 1971.
The goals of the ex-Azulgrana Sandro Ramírez and Fábio Silva, in the second half, diminished the confidence of a Barça without ideas or game, in which only Raphinha, with a shot, He discussed the superiority of the rival.
The moment was propitious for the Barça team to catch their breath in LaLiga. Not only for the rival, from the bottom of the table, but also to celebrate with a victory the 125th anniversary of the club, which the entity celebrated in style on Friday night at a gala at the Gran Teatro del Liceo.
That Flick took the match against the yellow team seriously is demonstrated by the fact that his entire squad left the auditorium a few minutes before the celebration ended. However, his players seemed to be hungover, Well, it was difficult for them to get into the game. And in the first half they played what Diego Martínez’s team wanted, at the same time that the Catalan team missed the talent of Lamine Yamal and Dani Olmo, both substitutes.
The German coach opted for rotations. The loss of Casadó forced them to place Gavi as a midfielder, although the main novelty was the presence in the eleven of Pablo Torre, who, Located on the far left, he replaced Olmo.
Balde, another new addition to the lineup, had to be replaced by Gerard Martín after 20 minutes of play after colliding with Sandro Ramírez. The Las Palmas attacker hit the defender’s neck with his shoulder Barcelona player when trying to protect the ball.
Diego Martínez’s daring plan made Barça uncomfortable. The yellow team was a mirror of what Barça is being at this start of the season, with very intense advanced pressure to which was added good treatment with the ball of his players. Alberto Moleiro, new to the lineup, gave his team clarity in the midfield.
And that’s how the visitors stepped into Iñaki Peña’s area on several occasions in the first 45 minutes. They lacked a little more aim in the final meters, especially Sandro Ramírez, that he did not define well against the Barça goalkeeper in a gallop down the right wing. Javi Muñoz also did not take advantage of his opportunity when he arrived from the left wing with a cross shot that brushed a post.
It was difficult for Barça to fuel. Inaccurate with the ball, the Barça players slipped behind the rhythm of their rival. Neither Pedri commanded the midfield, nor did Raphinha threaten with his arrivals, nor Lewandowski He hunted balls in the area.
Only Fermín López, in the early stages of the match, warned with a shot that was repelled by Cillessen, who also prevented a goal from Pedri on the stroke of half-time. In added time, Raphninha sent the ball to the crossbar, ending an irregular first half that He remembered Barça from Anoeta and Balaídos.
Flick looked for solutions on the bench. And there he found Lamine. The talent from Mataró, who had missed the last three games due to a right ankle injury, came on for Pablo Torre after the restart.
But Barça did not wake up and Las Palmas took advantage of it to advance after an extraordinary release of the ball from the rear that found only Kirian Rodríguez in the central circle. The midfielder advanced with the ball and filtered a deep pass that Sandro Ramírez scored with a cross shot (0-1, min.49).
With his team touched, the hornet’s nest moved Flick, who made a triple change bringing in De Jong, Héctor Fort and Ferran Torres, who reappeared after almost two months out due to a muscle injury.
Raphinha’s goal was not enough
And Barça, with more heart than good play, reacted. Raphinha, very discreet in the first half, invented a low whip with his left foot with which his team tied the match (1-1, min.61).
With the Brazilian’s fourteenth of the season it seemed that a new game was beginning, but Fábio Silva stopped the Barça reaction with a goal from a pure center forward (1-2, min.67). The Portuguese attacker gained the back of the Barça defense with a precise unmarking and beat Peña with a pure ‘9’ shot.
In the last half hour of the match, Barça took control of the ball and had clear chances from Ferran, Lamine Yamal and Raphinha, but the ex-Azulgrana Cillessen avoided it with three worthy saves. Three points that They give air to Las Palmas in the lower part of the classification.