Barcelona suffered a surprising defeat at home to Las Palmas, losing 2-1 on Saturday in a match that marked their first loss of the season in front of their fans. The goals from Sandro Ramirez and Fábio Silva helped secure Las Palmas their first victory at the Camp Nou in over 50 years, with Raphinha managing to briefly equalize for Barcelona after Ramirez’s opener.
The match ended a tough stretch for Barcelona, who had been performing well under new coach Hansi Flick earlier in the season, boasting victories against both Real Madrid and Bayern Munich. However, they have now gone three rounds in La Liga without claiming a win, following a loss to Real Sociedad and a draw against Celta Vigo, where they allowed a two-goal advantage to slip away.
With this loss, Barcelona’s position at the top of La Liga is under pressure. Real Madrid, sitting four points behind with two games in hand, can overtake them if they win their upcoming matches. Raphinha emphasized the need for the team to reflect on their recent performances and focus on regaining their winning form in the crucial game against Mallorca on Tuesday.
On a positive note for Las Palmas, this triumph is a significant achievement for a club that had long struggled at the Camp Nou, emphasizing their determination and hard work. Sandro acknowledged the historic nature of this victory, showing that even smaller clubs can achieve great things with resilience and belief.
Among the game’s incidents, Barcelona had to substitute left back Alejandro Balde early on due to an injury sustained after a collision. Meanwhile, Atlético Madrid remains firmly in the title race, sitting just two points behind Barcelona and asserting their dominance with a 5-0 rout of Valladolid, highlighted by an exquisite goal from Antoine Griezmann.
In other matches, Espanyol ended their losing streak with a 3-1 victory over Celta, which relieved pressure on their coach, while Alaves played to a 1-1 draw against Leganes.
This recent spate of unexpected results in La Liga serves as a reminder of the unpredictable nature of football, where any team can achieve the extraordinary on any given matchday. Fans can remain hopeful that Barcelona will bounce back from this setback and reclaim their form.