Real Madrid’s forward Vinícius Júnior equalized with a second-half penalty, denying Las Palmas a victory in a tightly contested 1-1 draw on Thursday. The match began with an early goal from Alberto Moleiro, putting the struggling Las Palmas ahead in just the fifth minute.
The defending LaLiga champions, who currently sit fourth in the standings with five points from three matches, faced the possibility of their first league loss of the season due to another lackluster display. They are now four points behind leaders Barcelona.
Kylian Mbappé, the French captain, continued to seek his first goal in LaLiga, having joined Real Madrid as a free agent from Paris Saint-Germain in June without finding the net yet.
Despite manager Carlo Ancelotti making four changes to the lineup following a narrow victory over Valladolid, Real Madrid started the match sluggishly. Las Palmas capitalized on this uncertainty, with Moleiro scoring from a swift counterattack.
Las Palmas had multiple opportunities to increase their lead, where Thibaut Courtois, the Real Madrid goalkeeper, was crucial, making several remarkable saves to keep his team in the game.
After halftime, the introduction of Rodrygo injected vitality and creativity into Real Madrid’s play. Despite some impressive saves from Las Palmas’ goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen, who thwarted efforts from Antonio Rudiger, Federico Valverde, Aurélien Tchouaméni, and Vinícius Jr., the tension escalated when Sandro missed a golden chance to extend Las Palmas’ lead in the 54th minute.
The turning point came when a handball by defender Álex Suárez allowed Vinícius to step up and convert the penalty, securing a point for Madrid.
Real Madrid is set to host Betis on Sunday, while Las Palmas, currently in 16th place, will head to the Basque Country to take on Alaves.