FC Barcelona: Peña, Cancelo (Christensen 11′), Araujo, Koundé, Balde, De Jong, Gündogan, Sergi Roberto (Fermín 71′), Torres (Roque 78′), Raphinha (Félix 71′), Lewandowski (Yamal 78′ )
Bench: Christensen, Romeu, Felix, Roque, Astralaga, Kochen, Fermín, Yamal, Fort and Cubarsí.
Goals: 1-0 Munir (12′), 1-1 Torres (55′), 1-2 Gündogan, penalty (90′)
Barca started 2024 with the away match against Las Palmas in the 19th round of the league. Here, Xavi and his players needed all three points if the distance to the top teams was not to increase.
A few minutes of the match could have been played when Cancelo went hard into a tackle and was injured with one knee. He tried to continue but had to be replaced a few minutes later. This meant that Andreas Christensen came on the pitch instead. The Catalan defense had not settled down at all a minute later and Las Palmas took advantage of that to score 1-0. It was the former Barca player Munir who sent the ball into the net on a set-up by another former Barca player Sandro. Here the Barca defense did not look good.
Barca’s play was slow and although Las Palmas bravely stood high on the pitch and left a lot of space at the back, it was not something the Catalans were able to exploit. There was a lack of ideas and initiative in the Catalan play and the home team had no problems rejecting what came. Midway through the half, Las Palmas went close again, but Peña saved for a corner. A few minutes later it was dangerous again when Sandro sent a shot on the outside of the post. Nothing worked for Barca and on the sidelines you could see a clearly frustrated Xavi.
It wasn’t until the 32nd minute that Barca managed to catch Las Palmas with a through ball, giving Sergi Roberto a free run towards goal, but instead of finishing himself, he tried in vain to find Torres. The problems for Barca continued into the half and the players seemed almost resigned and discouraged. Nothing succeeded for the Catalans and they had to go to the break without having had a single shot on target in the first 45 minutes.
Barca started the second half as slowly as they had finished the first, but in the 51st minute they got their first finish of the game when Raphinha sent a long-range shot wide of the goal. In the 55th minute, the Barca players finally got something to cheer about when the ball fell somewhat randomly at the feet of Sergi Roberto in the box, after which he played it on to Ferran Torres. He coolly rolled it into the net for a 1-1 equaliser. The score created some optimism in the Catalan game and just as the clock ticked to the hour mark, De Jong was set up for a good opportunity, but he wasted his finish.
Barca were gaining the upper hand and Las Palmas were coming under pressure. There was more speed in the Catalan game and there were several attempts to do something dangerous, but the decisive posts or passes were missed. On the other hand, the re-pressing worked well and this meant that the home team did not have much on the ball. After 71 minutes, Yamal and Félix were sent on instead of Raphinha and somewhat surprisingly Lewandowski, who is very rarely taken off. Las Palmas managed to break away from Barca’s pressure and a quarter of an hour from time they came very close to taking the lead when Mármol headed wide from a corner.
In the 78th minute, Vitor Roque made his debut when he replaced Torres. Fermín also came on instead of Sergi Roberto. After just two minutes on the pitch, Roque came close to capitalizing on a major mistake by the home team’s defence, but the goalkeeper cleared the ball from the Brazilian. Barca once again pushed Las Palmas back, but it was difficult to finish. Just as the match had entered overtime, Félix sent a shot that the goalkeeper saved. Gündogan wanted to head the rebound into the net, but he was pushed in the back and the referee awarded a penalty and gave Skingraven a red card. Gündogan kicked himself and made it 2-1 for sure.
Las Palmas were forced to bet and it gave Barca a huge opportunity in the 6th additional minute, when Roque sent the ball close to the goal. Nothing more happened and thus Barca got the three vital points, but it happened after a match that had presented major problems for the Catalans.
