Barcelona’s 125th-anniversary celebrations ended in disappointment as relegation-threatened Las Palmas stunned them with a 2-1 victory at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys on Saturday.
The loss extended Barcelona’s winless run in La Liga to three games and gave Real Madrid a chance to close the gap at the top of the table.
Former Barcelona forward Sandro Ramírez opened the scoring in the 51st minute, delivering a clinical finish from the edge of the box. Though Raphinha levelled for Barcelona with a powerful strike, Wolverhampton Wanderers loanee Fábio Silva netted the decisive goal for Las Palmas, capitalising on a defensive error.
Barcelona suffered an early setback when left-back Alejandro Balde was stretchered off in the 26th minute after a collision with Sandro. The 21-year-old’s injury cast a pall over the match, adding to Barcelona’s woes.
Despite dominating possession and registering 26 shots, Barcelona struggled to break through a disciplined Las Palmas defense led by veteran goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen.
Las Palmas struck first with a swift counterattack, as Sandro’s goal silenced the home crowd. Barcelona responded in the 62nd minute, with substitute Lamine Yamal orchestrating a quick exchange that set up Raphinha for his ninth league goal of the season.
However, Las Palmas remained undeterred. In the 72nd minute, Javi Muñoz delivered a perfectly timed pass through Barcelona’s high line, allowing Fábio Silva to score his fifth league goal of the campaign.
“We stayed very compact and didn’t leave a lot of space between the lines,” said Las Palmas midfielder Alberto Moleiro.
Barcelona coach Hansi Flick lamented his team’s inefficiency. “It’s frustrating, We had the chances, we had the possession, but we lacked the killer instinct. If we don’t score, we have to defend better as a team—not just the backline but everyone,” he said.
Raphinha also expressed frustration. “I always try to help the team, but today, it wasn’t enough. We must regroup quickly and focus on the next match.”
For Las Palmas, the win was monumental. “We’re very happy. It’s such a big win for us,” said Fábio Silva. “We worked hard, we suffered but we got the result. These three points are massive for our season.”
Barcelona remains atop La Liga with 34 points but only four points ahead of Real Madrid, who have two games in hand. A Madrid victory against Getafe on Sunday could reduce the gap to just one point, heightening the tension in the title race.
Las Palmas, on the other hand, climbed out of the relegation zone to 14th place with this historic victory, their first away win against Barcelona since 1971.
