Barcelona’s unbeaten home record was shattered on Saturday as they were stunned 2-1 by Las Palmas at the Olympic Stadium.
The result marked the Catalan club's first home defeat of the season and came on the weekend of their 125th anniversary celebrations, making the loss even more bitter for the fans in attendance.
The match turned in the second half, with Las Palmas taking the lead just after the break. Sandro RamÃrez capped a devastating counter-attack in the 49th minute, expertly finding the bottom-left corner past Barcelona goalkeeper Inaki Pena.
The home side responded swiftly, with captain Raphinha firing a stunning equalizer in the 62nd minute.
The Brazilian midfielder swivelled and drilled a powerful shot from outside the box, beating Las Palmas goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen low to his left.
However, Barcelona’s hopes of a comeback were dashed when Las Palmas reclaimed the lead.
Fábio Silva, on loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers, finished a brilliant counter of his own in the 72nd minute.
A perfectly timed pass from Alberto Muñoz on the right wing found Silva, who shifted past Barça defender Jules Koundé before coolly finishing into the bottom-left corner.
Despite a flurry of chances in the final stages, including a free kick from Raphinha that was tipped over by Cillessen, Barcelona couldn’t find a way through the resolute Las Palmas defense.
The visitors held firm to secure a historic 2-1 victory, sending shockwaves through the league.
The loss marks the third consecutive round without a win for Barcelona in La Liga, following a 1-0 defeat to Real Sociedad and a 2-2 draw at Celta Vigo.
The club had been in superb form under new coach Hansi Flick, having defeated the likes of Real Madrid and Bayern Munich in recent weeks.
But this defeat has raised questions about their consistency, particularly after a strong start to the season that saw them win all eight of their home games.
The defeat also has ramifications at the top of the La Liga table, with rivals Real Madrid now able to move ahead of Barcelona, who still hold a four-point advantage but have played two more games.
Adeyemi Adewale
Post a Comment