Gundogan’s Late Penalty Rescues Barcelona’s La Liga Title Aspirations

In a thrilling match, Ilkay Gundogan’s injury-time penalty secured a crucial 2-1 victory for FC Barcelona against Las Palmas, keeping their La Liga title hopes alive. The German international won the penalty after being pushed by Daley Sinkgraven, allowing Barca to close in on the top spot.

Las Palmas took an early lead in the 11th minute through former Barcelona players Sandro and Munir. Barca’s goalkeeper, Inaki Pena’s hesitation, proved costly as Munir bundled home Sandro’s cross. Barca, without a shot on target in the first half, leveled the score at 1-1 in the 55th minute when Ferran Torres calmly finished a loose ball in Las Palmas’ area.

Barcelona introduced Joao Felix, Lamine Yamal, and Victor Roque in the later stages, with Roque missing an open goal opportunity after Gundogan’s decisive penalty. The win was crucial for Barcelona, preventing them from falling nine points behind Real Madrid and Girona.

Simultaneously, Athletic Bilbao celebrated coach Ernesto Valverde’s 500th La Liga game with a 2-0 victory against Sevilla, securing a spot in the top four. Mikel Vesga’s 30th-minute header and Aitor Paredes’ late goal sealed the win for Athletic Bilbao.

In other La Liga action, Osasuna clinched a 1-0 victory against bottom side Almeria, further solidifying their mid-table position. Almeria, with only five points from 19 games, endured a challenging season.

These results followed Real Madrid’s 1-0 win against Mallorca, maintaining their league leadership, while Girona stayed level on points after a thrilling 4-3 win against Atletico Madrid. Celta Vigo climbed out of the bottom three with a 2-1 win against Real Betis, and Granada secured their second win of the campaign with a 2-0 victory over Cadiz.

The midweek La Liga fixtures showcased intense competition and unexpected turns, setting the stage for an exciting second half of the season.

–IANS