Substitutes Dani Olmo, Ferran Torres help Barcelona reclaim top spot
Dani Olmo and Ferran Torres came off the bench to rescue a 2-0 win for Barcelona at Las Palmas on Saturday that sent them back to the top of the LaLiga table after a game that is unlikely to live long in the memory.
Barcelona now lead on 54 points, one ahead of Atletico Madrid. Real Madrid are third on 51 but have a game in hand and will host Girona on Sunday.
Both sides were largely toothless in attack in a slow-paced match and struggled to produce scoring opportunities, before Barca finally broke the deadlock in the 62nd minute with a shot from inside the box by Olmo.
Torres added the second goal at the death, taking advantage of a mistake by the home side’s defence to fire a low strike from close range five minutes into added time.
English Premier League
Las Palmas
Barcelona
Substitutes Dani Olmo, Ferran Torres help Barcelona reclaim top spot
Dani Olmo finds the breakthrough for Barça
García: Win over Valencia very comfortable for Atletico Madrid
Game Information
Spanish LALIGA Standings
LALIGA News
| Team | GP | W | D | L | GD | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barcelona | 25 | 17 | 3 | 5 | +42 | 54 |
| Atlético Madrid | 25 | 15 | 8 | 2 | +26 | 53 |
| Real Madrid | 24 | 15 | 6 | 3 | +29 | 51 |
| Athletic Club | 24 | 12 | 9 | 3 | +16 | 45 |
| Villarreal | 25 | 12 | 8 | 5 | +13 | 44 |
| Rayo Vallecano | 25 | 9 | 8 | 8 | +1 | 35 |
| Mallorca | 24 | 10 | 4 | 10 | -7 | 34 |
| Real Betis | 24 | 8 | 8 | 8 | -1 | 32 |
| Celta Vigo | 25 | 9 | 5 | 11 | -2 | 32 |
| Osasuna | 25 | 7 | 11 | 7 | -5 | 32 |
| Girona | 24 | 9 | 4 | 11 | -3 | 31 |
| Real Sociedad | 24 | 9 | 4 | 11 | -3 | 31 |
| Sevilla | 24 | 8 | 7 | 9 | -5 | 31 |
| Getafe | 24 | 7 | 9 | 8 | +2 | 30 |
| Espanyol | 25 | 7 | 6 | 12 | -12 | 27 |
| Leganés | 24 | 5 | 9 | 10 | -13 | 24 |
| Las Palmas | 25 | 6 | 5 | 14 | -14 | 23 |
| Valencia | 25 | 5 | 8 | 12 | -16 | 23 |
| Alavés | 25 | 5 | 7 | 13 | -11 | 22 |
| Real Valladolid | 24 | 4 | 3 | 17 | -37 | 15 |
Las Palmas 0–2 Barcelona: Player Ratings As Barca Wins Fifth Straight Game in La Liga
Barcelona had to dig deep to stay atop La Liga, defeating Las Palmas 0–2 in a game where the Catalans had to be patient against a stout defensive side.
As has become a trend against teams towards the bottom of La Liga, Barcelona had a tough time breaking down a low defensive block. Las Palmas played exactly like they did in their 2–1 win vs. Barça earlier in the season and the Blaugrana struggled mightily against a disciplined defense.
Desperation grew with every passing minute until finally, Lamine Yamal picked out Dani Olmo inside the box in the 62nd minute. The former RB Leipzig man cut to his left, got away from his marker and unleashed a strike to give Barça the advantage, crowning a brilliant action.
Barcelona settled and controlled the game after going in front. There was a small scare when Eric García appeared to have blocked a shot with his hand inside the box, but VAR showed there was a Las Palmas player offside in the action prior. Five minutes into stoppage time, Ferran Torres sealed the win for Barça with another goal off the bench.
It wasn’t pretty, but Barcelona have now won five in a row in La Liga and will spend another week as table toppers. Hansi Flick’s men will turn their attention to the first leg of their Copa del Rey semifinal tie vs. Atlético Madrid in three days time as the decisive part of the season begins.
Player ratings from the night below.
Players
Ratings
GK: Wojciech Szczęsny
8/10
RB: Jules Koundé
7.4/10
CB: Eric García
7.7/10
CB: Pau Cubarsí
7.9/10
LB: Alejandro Balde
7.9/10
CM: Marc Casadó
7.8/10
CM: Pedri
8.2/10
RW: Lamine Yamal
8.4/10
AM: Fermín López
6.3/10
LW: Raphinha
8.5/10
ST: Robert Lewandowski
6.6/10
SUB: Dani Olmo (46′ for Fermín)
8.1/10
SUB: Frenkie de Jong (85′ for Pedri)
N/A
SUB: Ferran Torres (85′ for Yamal)
N/A
SUB: Gerard Martín (90′ for Raphinha)
N/A
Roberto Casillas is a Sports Illustrated Soccer freelance writer covering Liga MX, the Mexican National Team & Latin American players in Europe. He is a die hard Cruz Azul and Chelsea fan.
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Barcelona Player Ratings vs. Las Palmas (4-2-3-1)
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Player of the Match: Raphinha (Barcelona)
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Ratings Provided by FotMob
|
Players |
Ratings |
|---|---|
|
GK: Wojciech Szczęsny |
8/10 |
|
RB: Jules Koundé |
7.4/10 |
|
CB: Eric García |
7.7/10 |
|
CB: Pau Cubarsí |
7.9/10 |
|
LB: Alejandro Balde |
7.9/10 |
|
CM: Marc Casadó |
7.8/10 |
|
CM: Pedri |
8.2/10 |
|
RW: Lamine Yamal |
8.4/10 |
|
AM: Fermín López |
6.3/10 |
|
LW: Raphinha |
8.5/10 |
|
ST: Robert Lewandowski |
6.6/10 |
|
SUB: Dani Olmo (46′ for Fermín) |
8.1/10 |
|
SUB: Frenkie de Jong (85′ for Pedri) |
N/A |
|
SUB: Ferran Torres (85′ for Yamal) |
N/A |
|
SUB: Gerard Martín (90′ for Raphinha) |
N/A |
Where to watch Las Palmas vs. FC Barcelon: La Liga live stream, lineups, prediction, odds, TV channel, time
Las Palmas will host FC Barcelona on Saturday for a key game in the Spain’s La Liga as the visitors were able to close the gap with Real Madrid and are currently leading the table tied points with the side coached by Carlo Ancelotti. The home side, on the other hand, are racing to avoid relegation. Another win from the guests will definitely put more pressure on Real Madrid that will face Girona at the Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday. Here’s what you need to know:
Las Palmas: Former FC Barcelona striker Sandro Ramirez will be back in the team after a suspension, but he’s unlikely to start, while Marvin Park, Fabio Silva, Marc Cardona and Adnan Januzaj are all still injured and unlikely to make it into the squad.
Potential Las Palmas XI: Cillessen; Rozada, Suarez, Pelmard, Marmol; Loiodice, Bajcetic; Sandro, Munoz, Moleiro; McBurnie.
FC Barcelona: Fermin Lopez will be back in the squad after his suspension, but he’s also expected to start from the bench, like Spanish attacker Dani Olmo. Dutch midfielder Frankie de Jong should start alongside Pedri in the midfield behind Lamine Yamal and Raphinha on the wings.
Potential FC Barcelona XI: Szczesny; Kounde, Araujo, Martinez, Balde; De Jong, Pedri; Raphinha, Gavi, Yamal; Lewandowski.
Barcelona are in great form and coming from four wins in a row and have a big chance to put more pressure on their rivals. Pick: FC Barcelona 3, Las Palmas 0.
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