UD Las Palmas could not hold onto the lead they enjoyed during the night at the Estadio de Gran Canaria. Two points slipped away in injury time of the match against CD Castellón (1-1). A goal by Jesé dominated the scoreboard until the final stretch, when the visitor Brignani equalized a match played with great intensity from start to finish.
The visit of the new leader of the Second Division responded from the first minute to the expected challenge. Pablo Hernández's team tested the defensive focus of Dinko Horkas and his teammates on a night of fast and dangerous advances by the visitors.
UD is not prone to end-to-end matches, but Castellón's pressure in many areas of the field made it inevitable. Horkas had plenty of work in the first half, with up to 4 saves from shots by Castellón players. But Las Palmas also advanced with the intention of reaching Matthys' area, who left the Estadio de Gran Canaria with his clean sheet record intact.
Luis García Fernández's players took the lead on the scoreboard in the 23rd minute, after Jesé Rodríguez led a quick counterattack. The Gran Canarian forward set up Viti Rozada on his right side, with the Asturian successfully reaching the area. However, just as he was about to shoot, he was brought down by Sienra, resulting in a penalty that Jesé converted into a hopeful 1-0.
There was still more defensive work to be done despite the lead on the scoreboard. The speed of Mabil, Cipenga, and Camara constantly tested the retreat of the local defenders and the focus of goalkeeper Horkas. However, in another local counterattack, Taisei Miyashiro also came close to scoring. The Japanese player received the ball in the area, but just as he attempted to shoot, the Frenchman Mellot managed to get a toe in and send the ball out for a corner.
There was no respite in the game until halftime, with new interventions from Horkas and the collective conviction that any outcome would depend on defensive sacrifice against an ambitious opponent.
The situation for UD Las Palmas seemed to ease in the second half, with more presence in the attacking zone. The action shifted towards Matthys' goal, who saved two early shots from Jesé and Manu Fuster in the first chances of the second half.
The match developed in a way that suggested the first victory of the second round could be within reach, especially when the opponent was reduced to ten men. However, the attempts to score a second goal for the home team did not materialize.
However, in stoppage time, Brignani managed to equalize after a play by his teammate Cipenga. The 1-1 draw was a disappointment as García Fernández's players were already on the verge of securing the much-needed victory.