Madrid. FC Barcelona beat UD Las Palmas (1-0) this Saturday on matchday 30 of LaLiga EA Sports to get three points with which they put pressure on the leader Real Madrid, a hard-fought victory, where they forgave good chances but won by the minimum against a rival who, with one less 65 minutes, stood up.
Xavi Hernández’s team suffered at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys, despite the good start and the many arrivals. Not even with the expulsion of Álvaro Valles did Barça have it easy. Raphinha’s goal in the 59th minute, after a great pass from Joao Félix, allowed the Catalan team to maintain its good line after the break and move within five points of a Madrid that plays on Sunday against Athletic Club at the Santiago Bernabéu.
The return after the international matches brought a Barça team with spark and good intentions in attack. Xavi’s men, who are also continuing to refine ahead of the match against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League quarter-finals on the 10th, had good rhythm, came out with danger and pressed high.
Lamine Yamal threatened to steal the spotlight with a couple of good starts, but the Spanish international did not have his brightest day. In the pressure and theft, Barça found a goal from Raphinha in the 20th minute, but the VAR called attention to an offside. Xavi’s team won a lot against the Canarian defense and, in another of those, came the red card from Valles, who had to go far from his goal and caught the Brazilian in a bad way.
Substitute goalkeeper Escandell had work to do as soon as he came on and Barça forgave Lewandowski’s crossbar with a ball, and Raphinha had another very clear one that he sent wide. In stoppage time, Las Palmas appeared with a missile from a direct free kick from Coco very close to Ter Stegen’s squad and, after the restart, they did not give up their options.
The culé team lacked that rhythm at the beginning and the yellow defense, at a high level throughout the match, became stronger. García Pimienta’s team also knew how to make the game heavier and slower, also knowing the wear and tear they had accumulated, but Barça, with a lot of time ahead of them, knew how to be patient.
Xavi’s men recovered some longer possession and waited for the gap, which was seen by Joao Félix, who had just come off the bench, when Raphinha, the one who had insisted the most, was unchecked. However, the locals, with Ferran also entering, did not find the sentence, and Las Palmas died in the rival field.
García Pimienta also brought out the quality of a team that, although it has not been able to reach the fight for Europe, demonstrated in Barcelona its good style and good players, perhaps also its lack of goals. Those from Las Palmas, with the introduction of Alberto Moleiro, kept the ball at times and surrounded the rival goal, with the tie in injury time in the waste of their ’10’.
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– 2024-04-09 00:41:28
