It couldn't be. UD Las Palmas came close to at least forcing extra time at Málaga's home ground. The 1-1 result recorded this Wednesday eliminates the yellows from the playoffs, while there will be an Andalusian clash with Almería for the promotion ticket to the First Division. A goal from Jesé gave hope to the Gran Canarians, who dreamed of the feat until the last ball of the night. The aggregate score of the tie is 2-1 in favor of Málaga.
UD Las Palmas had to face an extraordinary context in the second leg of the semifinals, offered by the fans at La Rosaleda, with 29,937 people in the stands. Luis García Fernández chose two players to refresh the starting eleven of the yellows compared to Sunday’s match, as Jonathan Viera and Estanis Pedrola appeared in the initial lineup, replacing Pejiño and Fuster.
The initial game plan worked perfectly. The night couldn’t have started better: In the first attack by the yellows, Marvin Park found space to advance on the right, delivering a ball into the area that Jesé turned into gold with a first-touch shot. The 0-1 came in just 2 minutes of play, sparking hope among the Gran Canaria fans, who made themselves heard in the stands of the Andalusian stadium.
After that moment of Canarian euphoria, UD Las Palmas had to manage their advantage and cool the atmosphere, while also controlling the intensity of their opponent. The tie was back to square one, with many minutes still to play. Jonathan Viera took control of the visitors' operations, while the team organized defensively so that Horkas could enjoy a quiet first half.
On the contrary, the next most incisive moments of this initial period came from Estanis Pedrola, with two shots from the edge of the box. The first went low and wide. The second came very close to the crossbar, in a play that started with a deflection by Jesé in midfield.
There were no changes to the scoreboard by halftime. The team was giving off very good vibes, unaffected by the atmosphere or the local team’s attempts to disrupt the visitors' defensive organization.
The second half began with controversy in the 49th minute. Jesé sprinted from midfield, dodging opponents until he reached the box, where he ended up on the ground claiming a stomp. However, the referee did not award the requested penalty.
The match and the tie remained open, but Málaga managed to turn things back in their favor with a goal by Joaquín in the 68th minute. The 1-1 scoreline eliminated the possibility of extra time, and Las Palmas was forced to take risks, creating constant waves of attacks in search of another goal. After several attempts, Manu Fuster had a great chance following a pass from Valentín. However, the Valencian’s shot went over the crossbar.
The final minutes were thrilling, with both teams fully committed to attacking the opposing goals. UD tried several times, with shots blocked by defenders and a great chance from Pejiño, who managed to beat the goalkeeper, but a defender cleared the ball off the goal line.
The battle continued until the very last ball. But Luis García Fernández’s team could not achieve their goal of extending the night by 30 more minutes.
Thus, the season comes to an end, and now it is time to reflect on building the new project to aim for promotion.