Las Palmas Stun Barcelona with Historic 2-1 Victory at the Olympic Stadium

Barcelona’s 125th anniversary weekend celebrations were dampened by a shocking 2-1 defeat at home to Las Palmas in La Liga, a result that has sent shockwaves through Catalonia. Despite the occasion marking a milestone in the club’s illustrious history, it was the visitors from Gran Canaria who made history themselves, securing their first league victory at Barcelona’s home stadium since 1971.

Manager Diego Martinez's tactical brilliance was on full display as his side inflicted yet another defeat on Barcelona, making it the third time he has masterminded a victory over the Catalan giants. The win was particularly sweet for Las Palmas, who, despite being underdogs, executed two devastating counterattacks that left Barcelona scrambling for answers throughout the match.

The deadlock was broken just after the restart in the 49th minute when Las Palmas striker Sandro found the bottom-left corner with a clinical finish following a swift counterattack. The goal was a perfect showcase of the visitors' speed and precision, catching Barcelona off guard and giving them a 1-0 lead.

Barcelona quickly responded with a well-taken goal from their captain, Raphinha. The Brazilian winger spun on the edge of the box and fired a low shot past Las Palmas keeper Jasper Cillessen in the 61st minute, bringing the hosts back into the match and drawing level at 1-1. It seemed like the momentum might shift in Barcelona’s favor, but there was no lasting push to break through Las Palmas’ defense.

Instead, Las Palmas struck again. In the 72nd minute, a brilliant pass from the right by Munoz found the feet of Silva, who was able to evade the challenge of Barca's Fort before calmly slotting the ball into the bottom-left corner. The clinical finish, combined with the slick move that created it, demonstrated Las Palmas’ attacking efficiency.

Despite Barcelona's efforts, the match began to slip away from them as Las Palmas held firm in defense. The hosts pushed forward with urgency in the final stages, registering a total of 2.37 expected goals (xG), but they could not find a way past the sea of yellow shirts. Las Palmas, on the other hand, exceeded their own xG of 0.50, confirming the clinical nature of their two strikes.

While Barcelona remained at the top of the La Liga standings after the defeat, they are now under pressure from Real Madrid, who have two games in hand. Meanwhile, Las Palmas’ victory lifts them up to 14th in the league, breathing new life into their campaign after a difficult start to the season.

For Barcelona, this loss is a bitter reminder that, despite their dominance in the league, they are not invincible. With Real Madrid closing in, Hansi Flick's men will need to regroup and reassess ahead of their next fixtures. Meanwhile, Las Palmas will savor this historic triumph, a result that will surely go down as one of their greatest in recent memory.