IMAGE: Las Palmas’ Jasper Cillessen makes a save during the match against FC Barcelona at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys, Barcelona, Spain, on Saturday. Photograph: Albert Gea/Reuters
LaLiga leaders Barcelona’s 125th anniversary celebrations were spoiled by Las Palmas who claimed a shock 2-1 victory on Saturday after Fabio Silva scored the winner to extend the hosts’ winless league run to three games.
In a game dominated by Barca, who had 70% of possession and peppered the goal with almost 30 shots, it was Las Palmas who made their few chances count to claim a famous triumph.
Barca remain on 34 points and lead second-placed Real Madrid by four but their rivals now have two games in hand, while the victory moved Las Palmas up to 14th place on 15 points.
“I think when we don’t score the goals, the team struggles a little bit and this is what we have to change,” Barcelona coach Hansi Flick said.
“… if we don’t score a goal, then maybe it’s possible for us to keep a clean sheet. So we have to defend better as a team, not only the last four or the defensive players, but the whole team and we can do it better.”
Las Palmas constantly found space in Barca’s box in the opening stages of the first half at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys but could not find the breakthrough despite creating a couple of chances that led to some goalmouth action.
Barcelona also lost full back Alejandro Balde to injury in the first half, with the 21-year-old taken off on a golf cart.
The Catalans struggled to find a way past the Las Palmas defence although on the stroke of halftime Raphinha made a counter-attacking run but saw his shot come off the crossbar.
Las Palmas struck the opening goal early in the second half when a sublime passing move that started with goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen finished when another former Barca player Sandro Ramirez scored from the edge of the box.
However, second-half substitutions, including the introduction of newly-crowned Golden Boy Lamine Yamal, helped Barca dominate and they equalised just after the hour when Pedri found Raphinha in a pocket of space near the edge of the box.
The quick-footed Brazil winger turned and fired a low, left-foot shot past Cillessen to make it 1-1 for his ninth league goal of the season.
Las Palmas were not deterred, though, and took the lead once more when Wolverhampton Wanderers loanee Silva broke through the offside trap to latch onto a pass from Javi Munoz and pulled the trigger to beat keeper Inaki Pena.
The home side pushed to equalise again and Raphinha saw his free kick tipped over by Cillessen.
LaLiga top scorer Robert Lewandowski also had two opportunities to level late in added time but saw a glancing header go wide before his shot was blocked by the defence.
“I’m very happy, it’s such a big win for us, we worked so hard and we suffered a lot. It’s three important points,” Las Palmas midfielder Alberto Moleiro said.
“We stayed very compact and we didn’t leave a lot of space between the lines, that was the key. Up front, when we created chances, we made the most of them.”
Schick on target again as Leverkusen win, Leipzig thrashed 5-1
IMAGE: Bayer Leverkusen’s Patrik Schick in action with 1. FC Union Berlin’s Kevin Vogt during their Bundesliga match at Stadion An der Alten Forsterei, Berlin, Germany, on Saturday. Photograph: Lisi Niesner/Reuters
Champions Bayer Leverkusen needed a second-half goal by in-form forward Patrik Schick to edge mid-table hosts Union Berlin 2-1 in the Bundesliga on Saturday and climb to third spot.
The Czech, who got a hat-trick in a 5-2 win over Heidenheim last week and then netted in the 5-0 Champions League win over RB Salzburg, chested the ball over the line in the 71st minute for his side’s second win in the last five league matches.
Leverkusen, who take on Bayern Munich next week as they bid to retain the German Cup, have 23 points, six behind leaders Bayern, who visit Borussia Dortmund later on Saturday.
They are now third after RB Leipzig slumped to a 5-1 home defeat by VfL Wolfsburg, a third loss in four matches that piles the pressure on coach Marco Rose, to drop to fourth spot on 21.
“I am not doing anything special,” Leverkusen’s Schick told reporters. “I try to keep working hard. At the moment I am in good form, better than at the start of the season.
“Maybe I am getting more passes, maybe more chances but at the moment it’s working really well.”
Xabi Alonso’s Leverkusen team went in front after two minutes with Jeremie Frimpong breaking clear and slotting in from a perfectly timed pass by Alejandro Grimaldo.
But there was little else in terms of attacking threat from the visitors and Union, with the league’s second best defence behind Bayern, stood their ground and gradually grew bolder.
They levelled with their first chance through Jeong Woo-yeong in the 29th after a fine run by Benedict Hollerbach.
Leverkusen brought on Florian Wirtz just before the hour and the move paid off with the Germany midfielder whipping a cross into the box for Schick to snatch the winner and cap a perfect seven days for the team with their third win in three matches.
The defeat left Union in 11th place on 16 points.
