Substitutes Dani Olmo and Ferran Torres scored second-half goals to give Barcelona a hard-fought 2-0 victory over Las Palmas, sending the Catalan club back to the top of LaLiga. The win, while ultimately decisive, masked a largely uninspired performance from both sides.
Barcelona now lead the table with 54 points, one point ahead of Atlético Madrid. Real Madrid, currently on 51 points, have a game in hand and will host Girona on Sunday.
The match was characterized by a slow tempo and a lack of clear-cut chances for both teams. An early effort from Las Palmas’ Sandro, saved by Barcelona goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny, hinted at a more open contest, but the game quickly settled into a stalemate.
Barcelona manager Hansi Flick’s decision to introduce Olmo for Fermín López after the break proved pivotal. In the 62nd minute, Olmo broke the deadlock. Receiving a pass from Lamine Yamal inside a congested penalty area, Olmo created space with a sharp turn before unleashing a powerful shot that crashed in off the crossbar.
Las Palmas were denied a potential equalizer in the 80th minute when a handball by Barcelona defender Eric García inside the box was reviewed by VAR. After a lengthy check, the referee ruled out the play for an offside in the build-up, much to the frustration of the home side.
Barcelona sealed the victory deep into stoppage time. A defensive error by Las Palmas in the 95th minute allowed Raphinha to intercept and quickly find Torres, who finished emphatically with a left-footed strike.
“There is no pressure, we are still in the driver’s seat and it’s up to us to keep it that way,” Olmo told Movistar Plus after the match. “I’m very happy to help our team take three points that were very important in the title race against a Las Palmas side that defend very well… In the second half we had more chances and in the end we took this valuable win.”
While the result keeps Barcelona in control of their title destiny, the performance highlighted areas for improvement, particularly in their ability to break down a defensively organized opponent.
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