Barcelona loses at dwelling for the primary time this season

Las Palmas’ gamers have fun their staff’s 2-1 victory over Barcelona on the finish of a Spanish La Liga soccer match on the Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium in Barcelona, Spain on Saturday (November 30, 2024).
| Picture Credit score: AP

Barcelona misplaced at dwelling for the primary time this season when the Liga chief was surprised by Las Palmas 2-1 on Saturday.

Sandro Ramirez and Fábio Silva scored for the Canary Islands membership on both aspect of Raphinha’s equalizer to present Las Palmas its first win at Barcelona in additional than 50 years.

Barcelona performed beautifully within the first three months beneath new coach Hansi Flick and was flying excessive after convincing victories over Actual Madrid within the home competitors and Bayern Munich within the Champions League. It had gained all eight of its dwelling video games.

However it has gone three rounds of La Liga with no win. Earlier than Las Palmas, it fell at Actual Sociedad 1-0 and drew at Celta Vigo 2-2 after squandering a two-goal lead within the last minutes.

The dropped factors imply Madrid, regardless of its personal troubles, particularly within the Champions League, can transfer forward of Barcelona in La Liga. It trails Barcelona by 4 factors with two video games in hand.

“I don’t care about scoring, I care about successful,” Raphinha mentioned after his standout efficiency was unable to finish Barcelona’s stoop.

“We’ve to take a tough take a look at what we’re doing fallacious. We’ve slipped in our type and are letting video games get away type us. We’ve our subsequent recreation on Tuesday (at Mallorca), and we have to flip this round so we will win the league.”

Atletico Madrid was solely two factors behind Barcelona in second place — and with the identical variety of video games performed — after Antoine Griezmann scored a gem of a objective in a 5-0 demolition of last-placed Valladolid.

Las Palmas savored its first victory at Barcelona for the reason that 1971-72 season and simply its third victory on the Catalan membership total. The opposite visits by the modest aspect that wears all yellow uniforms to Barcelona have led to 34 defeats and three attracts.

“We’re thrilled as a result of we’ve made historical past,” Sandro mentioned. “Whenever you begin the season you suppose that these video games are often going to finish in wins for the larger aspect, but when there’s one factor we consider in is our capability to work exhausting all week to get outcomes like this.”

Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal returned from a proper ankle damage that sidelined him for 3 weeks. Yamal appeared as a halftime substitute and Jasper Cillessen saved his finest shot. The Las Palmas goalkeeper additionally palmed a Raphinha free kick over his bar within the last minutes.

Sandro, a former Barcelona youth participant, capped a advantageous five-pass buildup by Las Palmas from its personal field because it masterfully undid Barcelona’s excessive strain within the forty ninth minute.

Raphinha had already hit the crossbar within the first half earlier than he equalized within the 61st. The Brazil ahead took a brief cross from Pedri simply exterior the realm, skirted throughout the sting and drilled a shot between two defenders.

However Barcelona was caught pushing ahead for a second objective when Silva managed a ball from Javi Muñoz and despatched in a shot bouncing previous Iñaki Peña within the 67th.

The surprising loss dampened Barcelona’s celebration of its a hundred and twenty fifth anniversary, which included the debut of its new mascot “Cat,” a big, yellow feline sporting its staff package.

Barcelona misplaced left again Alejandro Balde early within the recreation when he couldn’t proceed after he crashed into Sandro at full velocity. Balde appeared to harm his higher chest or neck space when he bumped into Sandro’s shoulder. He was carried off on a stretcher and changed by Gerard Martín.

Griezmann scored one of many objectives of the season when the ahead exchanged a fast one-two with Julián Alvarez and used a smooth contact of the within of his boot to roll the ball with him as he spun earlier than dinking it over the Valladolid goalkeeper.

That was the customer’s fourth objective. Shortly after, Valladolid followers stood up and applauded when Griezmann was substituted.

“That’s what each gamers needs, to make individuals get pleasure from what we do. So I admire their heat,” Griezmann mentioned.

Atletico additionally received objectives from Alvarez, Clement Lenglet, Rodrigo de Paul, and Alexander Sorloth.

Espanyol beat Celta 3-1 to finish a streak of 4 losses within the league and relieve strain on coach Manolo González.

Alaves additionally drew with Leganes 1-1 at dwelling.