UD Las Palmas fell by the narrowest margin (1-0) in their visit to FC Barcelona on Saturday. The yellows faced over an hour of play with one player less due to the expulsion of their starting goalkeeper, Álvaro Valles. The Catalan goal came in the second half, courtesy of Raphinha. But the Gran Canarian side pushed their chances until the last minutes, causing concern for the Blaugrana fans.
The clash between two of the teams with the highest possession in the league didn't disappoint from the start. Las Palmas showed personality in Montjuïc to tackle the match against a rival trying to take the lead early on.
García Pimienta's team made some passing errors, perhaps due to their opponent's generous pressure. The first attempts by Lewandowski were annulled because the Gran Canarian defense was quick to position the Blaugrana striker in offside positions.
Munir was the first to enter Ter Stegen's area, 7 minutes into the game. The Moroccan striker sprinted quickly but failed to shoot accurately, crossing the shot excessively.
Raphinha seemed to score in the 18th minute after a combined play that had also started in an offside position. The referee consulted the VAR room, and after several minutes of deliberation, the score remained unchanged.
All these incidents did not change UD Las Palmas' original idea, which tried to respond with the same weapons to their powerful opponent. However, in the 23rd minute, the game would take a new turn. An additional level of difficulty was added when Álvaro Valles received a straight red card, leaving his team with numerical inferiority.
The La Rinconada goalkeeper, with his known role as an extra libero, arrived late to a tackle with Raphinha. García Pimienta then had to alter his plans, as Munir was the outfield player sacrificed to allow Aarón Escandell to make his debut in the league with the yellows.
The afternoon's script had changed. Las Palmas had to protect a 0-0 against an opponent who persisted in their attacks. In the 34th minute, once again Lewandowski approached the goal. His header was repelled by the crossbar. And in the 44th minute, Raphinha shot low and crossed next to the post.
Las Palmas had a response before halftime. It was signed by Saúl Coco with a rocket from a direct free-kick. The ball narrowly missed the Blaugrana goal.
Las Palmas' resistance broke an hour into the game. Barcelona opened the scoring with an impeccable header from Raphinha, after a pass from his teammate Joao Félix.
But there was still much of the game to be resolved. Félix missed a possible 2-0 with a shot hitting the crossbar before the yellows launched a final offensive in search of the equalizer. Alberto Moleiro had the best chance in the 88th minute with a personal play into the heart of the area. But his shot ended up hitting the outside of Ter Stegen's net.