Las Palmas delivered a stunning upset on Saturday, defeating La Liga leaders Barcelona 2-1 at the Olympic Stadium, spoiling the Catalan club’s 125th-anniversary celebrations.
Sandro Ramirez opened the scoring for Las Palmas early in the second half, followed by Raphinha’s thunderous equaliser for Barca. However, Fabio Silva’s decisive strike sealed the win for the Canary Islanders, earning them their first away victory against Barcelona since 1971 and lifting them to 14th place.
Barcelona remain atop La Liga but are now at risk of losing their lead to Real Madrid, who have two games in hand and host Getafe on Sunday.
The defeat marked Barcelona’s third consecutive La Liga match without a win, a sharp contrast to their dominant start to the season. After the game, Raphinha expressed frustration, saying, “We lowered our level, and that is making games hard for us. We didn’t win, and I’m not satisfied with the game.”
Manager Hansi Flick acknowledged his team’s shortcomings: “We had more than 70 percent possession but didn’t convert our chances. Maybe we need to change one or two things.”
Barcelona commemorated its founding in 1899 with special white shorts and a gala event, but the celebrations turned bitter on the pitch. The hosts missed opportunities, including a crossbar effort by Raphinha and late heroics from Las Palmas goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen, who denied both Lamine Yamal and Robert Lewandowski in stoppage time.
Las Palmas on the Rise
Las Palmas’ victory was another sign of their resurgence under coach Diego Martinez, who took over in October when the team sat bottom of the table. The win moved them five points clear of relegation.
As Las Palmas celebrate a historic triumph, Barcelona faces mounting pressure to regain their early-season form ahead of the La Liga title race.
