Barcelona maintains its position in second place in the La Liga standings, trailing the league leaders by a margin of just five points, following a hard-fought 1-0 victory against Las Palmas at the Montjuïc Olympic Stadium on Saturday night. Throughout the match, Barcelona demonstrated superiority on the field, particularly after their opponent was reduced to 10 men for over an hour. Despite dominating play, Barcelona struggled to secure a comfortable lead, resulting in tense moments towards the end of the game. Nevertheless, they achieved their primary objective of securing all three points. With this victory, Barcelona now enjoys a 10-day respite to prepare for their upcoming Champions League fixture against Paris Saint-Germain, while also remaining competitive in the domestic title race.
First half
FC Barcelona exhibited a commanding performance at the onset of the match, applying high-pressure tactics against Las Palmas, effectively regaining possession in threatening areas. Despite Robert Lewandowski’s early goal, which was subsequently disallowed due to an offside infringement, the Catalans persisted in causing complications for their opponents through their aggressive pressing and swift, penetrative passing sequences.
In the 19th minute, the home team appeared to double their lead as Raphinha found the back of the net. However, an unusual offside ruling against the Brazilian player, despite his lack of involvement in the preceding play and his onside position at the moment of scoring, annulled the goal. Despite the subsequent VAR review confirming the decision, the rationale behind it remained perplexing.
Refereeing decisions continued to influence the game when Las Palmas goalkeeper Álvaro Valles was sent off for a reckless challenge on Raphinha outside the penalty area. Reduced to ten players, the visiting team adopted a defensive 5-3-1 formation in an attempt to thwart Barcelona’s advances.
Despite facing a defensively resolute opponent, Barcelona created two notable goal-scoring opportunities, with Lewandowski’s header striking the crossbar and Raphinha narrowly missing the target with a close-range effort. Las Palmas came close to taking an unexpected lead with a free-kick from Coco that narrowly missed the target, striking the side netting.
At halftime, Barcelona found themselves surprisingly level despite their dominance on the field, indicating the need for continued efforts to secure victory in the second half.
Second half
Barcelona (Barça) demonstrated a calculated approach in the second half against Las Palmas, recognizing the need for patience against a defensively resilient opponent employing time-wasting tactics. Despite Las Palmas’ concerted efforts to frustrate the home side with deep defensive play, Barça adeptly maintained ball circulation without resorting to desperation, awaiting opportune moments to capitalize.
The breakthrough arrived at the hour mark when João Félix, a substitute for Fermín López just three minutes prior, executed a remarkable through pass to find Raphinha’s unmarked run into the box. Raphinha’s subsequent header over the keeper secured the lead for Barça.
This goal served to alleviate tension and allowed Barça to concentrate on securing the victory. Meanwhile, Las Palmas, facing a deficit, assumed a more audacious approach, albeit with inherent risks, in pursuit of an improbable equalizer. Barça squandered a clear opportunity to seal the match when Jules Kounde provided Félix with an open-net chance, only for the latter to strike the crossbar unexpectedly.
Despite Barça’s dominance, Las Palmas persisted in their quest for parity, with Alberto Moleiro’s individual effort nearly catching the home side off guard in the closing moments. However, Barça’s resolute defense preserved the clean sheet, culminating in a decisive victory as the final whistle sounded.
While the margin of victory may overshadow the match’s competitiveness, Barça’s ability to navigate past a defensively entrenched opponent warrants acknowledgment. Although not a flawless display, it was sufficient to overcome a determined opponent even amidst adversity.
Looking ahead, Barça’s focus shifts to the forthcoming encounter against PSG, with aspirations for continued success as they resume their La Liga campaign in two weeks, potentially positioning themselves as contenders for the league title.