The Vaixell knows how to suffer and have patience and, thanks to the appearance of two luxury substitutes Dani Olmo and Ferran, they added three fantastic points in Las Palmas to remain leaders for another day (0-2). After a first half, Flick found the perfect key to unlock the game and add three points before the cup.
The victory of Atletico Madrid in Valencia meant that the Blaugranas started the match in second place, knowing that only a win would regain the leadership. They faced a more needy opponent who had only added one point out of the last 18. However, the Canaries’ idiosyncrasy doesn’t tolerate much speculation, and the game started more open than expected.
The intense first minutes…
The home team threatened with two shots from Bajcetic and Viti, one of them a clear chance for Barça, but Lewandowski was unsuccessful. The Polish striker couldn’t convert after a generous pass from Fermín, who was one of the highlights alongside Eric and Casadó in recent games.
…but shortly before halftime
However, far from continuing the high intensity of the early minutes, the game entered a phase of inaccuracies and tedium that extended into halftime. There were only a few standout players, like Moliro and Lamine Yamal. The former with his classic cut inside and a shot hitting the post from Szczęsny, and the latter taking advantage of a mistake in Las Palmas’ defense with a shot too wide before Cillessen. Not much else to highlight from a first half that ended, unsurprisingly, goalless.
Olmo, always on time
Flick made the right move for the first time and brought on Dani Olmo to try and unlock the Canarian defense. And he did just that. The Egarense had a quarter of an hour of brilliance and had the cool head and skill that his team had been missing for an hour. He received a cross, controlled it, and with his left foot, struck a shot that hit the crossbar, bounced off the ground, and found the back of the net (0-1, min. 61). The goal served to apply pressure, and Lamine started singing.
A scare in the form of a missed penalty
As time passed, Las Palmas’ urgency grew, potentially leaving more spaces at the back. But before that could happen, the whole stadium was stunned for several minutes. Referee Cordero Vega, via the VAR, overturned a potential penalty for handball by Eric Garcia, which was ultimately ruled out due to an offside. It was at the end of the meeting, which dragged on due to the eight minutes of added time.
Ferran doesn’t seal the triumph
But Barça wasn’t done yet Ferran Torres, who also came on as a substitute, secured the points completely. The shark settled inside the box and unleashed a powerful shot Another day at the top of the table.