UD Las Palmas secured a great victory (3-1) this Sunday at the Estadio de Gran Canaria, strengthening their position in the upper part of the standings. They achieved it with a solid performance against the league leaders, Racing de Santander, who had started the match with a goal from Villalibre.
The Gran Canaria team managed to come from behind first and then rolled up their sleeves to protect the lead in the second half, especially after the expulsion of Enzo Loiodice.
The match started with good feelings for UD Las Palmas, but with an early setback. Racing managed to take the lead on the scoreboard with a set-piece play successfully finished by Asier Villalibre. The yellows argued to the referee that Enzo Loiodice had been pushed, preventing the Frenchman from intervening in his defensive position.
However, Villalibre's header went on the scoreboard, and the match against the leader took on a new dimension for the yellows. For a few minutes, Las Palmas felt the impact of adversity, but the local attackers soon began a series of shots, giving work to the visiting goalkeeper. It was the prelude to a great reaction in the game and on the scoreboard.
Perhaps the best chance for an equalizer came from Lukovic, after a pass from Pejiño in the 28th minute. The Serbian shot powerfully but lacked the placement to beat Ezkeita. Las Palmas' persistence paid off as they found penetration zones and good crosses from the flanks.
From that point on, UD Las Palmas unleashed a storm on Racing's goal, scoring three times before halftime, all from balls sent in from the left flank.
The 1-1 came from a lateral free kick by Manu Fuster, which Mika Mármol headed in. The ball hit the post before going in. The 2-1 was also the work of Mika Mármol, with a clean header after a cross from Enrique Clemente. The defender had to be attended to after suffering a cut on his head.
And just before halftime, in the midst of Gran Canaria's offensive, it was Ale García who also headed in a precise cross from Fran Pejiño. The youth player nodded the ball down, making it impossible for goalkeeper Jokin Ezkeita to react.
In the second half, the script of the match changed, with Racing having more possession and the Gran Canaria team determined to protect their lead. There were barely any chances at either goal, and the situation became more complicated in the final stretch with the expulsion of Enzo Loiodice. But there were no further changes to the scoreboard, and the points stayed in Gran Canaria.