UD Las Palmas returns from Eibar with a 3-1 defeat against a direct rival in the fight for playoff positions. The 21 shots by the islanders, 10 corners taken, and 68.7% possession proved insufficient on a day when all the goals came in the first half.
The UD football players tried to respond in attack with missed chances, goalkeeper saves, a disallowed goal, and two shots hitting the crossbar. This adverse final score knocks the yellows out of the playoff spots before facing two consecutive matches next week at the Gran Canaria Stadium.
Coach Luis García Fernández saw no reason to alter the starting eleven from the last matchday against Eibar, except for the suspended Lorenzo Amatucci, which allowed the Frenchman Loiodice to reclaim his position in the central midfield. The rest of the starting lineup maintained their known positions and roles.
Horkas was the first protagonist of the match, deflecting a dangerous header from Corpas in the opening minute. Las Palmas took a few minutes to settle into position and take control of the ball, as is their usual style of play.
The match came alive around the 15th minute when Eibar scored the 1-0 after a play that Horkas could not stop. The goalkeeper let the ball slip after a shot, but Madariaga was alert to score. However, Las Palmas responded immediately, and in the subsequent attack, Viti assisted Fuster, who struck a cross-shot into the net.
The referee, assisted by the VAR room, disallowed a goal by Martón in the 19th minute due to a clear prior foul on Enrique Clemente.
The next chances belonged to the Canary team, with a shot from Ale García hitting the crossbar and another from Jesé going over the goal, before Martón once again put Eibar ahead on the scoreboard. The forward softly touched a cross from his teammate García, sliding the ball past Dinko Horkas, who had come out halfway.
Before halftime, the scoreline could have gone in any direction. In the 40th minute, Taisei Miyashiro headed the ball onto the crossbar, and the ball's bounce did not fully cross the goal line. This happened moments before Eibar scored the 3-1 on a counterattack.
Las Palmas threw everything forward in the second half, creating new opportunities that failed to materialize into a second goal to narrow the gap. Miyashiro, very active throughout the afternoon, had several attempts, but either missed by centimeters or was denied by the goalkeeper.