Barcelona had a subpar performance but managed to secure a 2-0 victory against Las Palmas on Saturday, allowing them to reclaim the top spot in La Liga.
After Atletico Madrid temporarily took the lead by defeating Valencia 3-0, Barcelona’s narrow win on the road placed them one point ahead of the Rojiblancos.
Substitute Dani Olmo scored a brilliant goal, followed by Ferran Torres’ powerful shot that settled the match, granting Barcelona revenge for their surprising home defeat to Las Palmas earlier in the season.
“We scored two goals, we earned three points, and the three-and-a-half-hour flight back is much more pleasant with these three points,” Barca coach Flick told reporters.
Barcelona struggled with their attacking accuracy in the tightly contested first half, failing to break down the hosts’ defence.
At halftime, Flick made a change, substituting playmaker Olmo for the quiet Fermin Lopez. Although Olmo’s first touch was a wayward pass that went out of play, he quickly regained his focus.
Lamine Yamal made a driving run and slipped the ball to Olmo, who displayed excellent footwork to create space in the box and score.
Las Palmas appealed for a penalty when a shot struck the back of Eric Garcia’s arm in the box, but VAR determined that there was an offside in the lead-up to the play.
Eight minutes of stoppage time were added, which gave Las Palmas hope, but it was Barcelona who found the net again.
A careless pass from the back was intercepted by Raphinha, who set up Torres to fire the ball past Jasper Cillessen and secure the win for Barcelona.
The defeat leaves Las Palmas in 17th place, tied on points with Valencia, who are in 18th and facing relegation.
