UD Las Palmas bid farewell to 2023 at home with a point split against Cádiz (1-1) in a match attended by 25,275 spectators at the Estadio de Gran Canaria. The scoreboard opened early with a goal by Fran Pejiño, but an equalizer arrived eight minutes before the end, courtesy of Chris Ramos.
This Sunday, Las Palmas achieved something that hadn't happened throughout the season. Pejiño scored the earliest goal of the current league for the Gran Canarians, just 6 minutes into the game. The player from Barbate showcased the power of his left foot from outside the box, receiving a pass from Javi Muñoz. The ball traveled low and sneaked in beside a post in the Naciente stand's goal.
The 1-0 stemmed from the incisive play of García Pimienta's players, who ventured into the opponent's field seeking avenues to penetrate the area. After several attempts, the opening goal occurred when Javi Muñoz successfully intercepted near the Cadiz defensive area.
The match had much action in those initial minutes. Cádiz also scored through Iván Alejo, but the play was disallowed due to an offside position at the beginning of the attack. Shortly after, Las Palmas could have secured their second goal as Moleiro initiated a play that Munir finished in the small area, beating Ledesma, but the ball flew just over the crossbar.
Munir faced another near-miss around the half-hour mark with a direct free-kick deflected by the crossbar. The scoreline remained unsettled at the 30-minute mark.
Cádiz had another prime opportunity in the 35th minute, with Chris Ramos breaking away solo. However, Valles, composed in the one-on-one with the forward, caught the low shot, maintaining the status quo. The Gran Canaria Stadium crowd cheered his name in gratitude.
The score was positive at halftime but was overshadowed by the unfortunate news of Alberto Moleiro's injury in a tussle with Alejo in the midfield. The Tenerife international was substituted at halftime by his teammate Marvin Park due to a right clavicle injury.
Before his substitution in the second half, Pejiño had another chance in the 64th minute. However, his shot traveled across the small area without managing to surprise Ledesma again or connect with striker Munir.
The momentum of the match gradually shifted. Cádiz stretched themselves in the second half and, after several chances, equalized from a corner kick headed by Chris Ramos. With 8 minutes remaining, there were no further opportunities for either side to change the score.
The other negative aspect of the match was Kirian Rodríguez receiving his fifth yellow card, ruling him out of the match against Athletic at San Mamés.