Updated at 20.04

LAS PALMAS claimed a surprise 2-1 victory at La Liga leaders Barcelona on Saturday, spoiling the hosts’ 125th anniversary celebrations.

Sandro Ramirez sent the visitors ahead early in the second half and although Raphinha hammered home an equaliser, Fabio Silva struck to claim three points and take his team up to 14th.

Barcelona still lead champions Real Madrid by four points but Los Blancos, who host Getafe on Sunday, have played two fewer games than Hansi Flick’s team.

The Catalans have now gone three league games without a victory, after a run of 11 wins in 12 prior in the top flight.

“We had a bad game, we have to look at what we’re doing badly to try and improve and win games,” Raphinha told Movistar.

“We lowered the level we were playing at and that is making games hard for us. We have to keep working and improve…

“I don’t care about my goal, I care about winning, we didn’t win and I’m not satisfied with the game.”

Barcelona wore white shorts as part of their anniversary celebrations, as they used to back at the start of their history.

They held a gala in the city on Friday night to mark the occasion, having been founded on November 29, 1899, but came undone on Saturday afternoon.

The Catalans were able to name teenage starlet Lamine Yamal on the bench after recovering from an ankle problem.

Former Barcelona goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen made a solid save to deny Fermin Lopez in the opening stages, with Las Palmas showing enterprise on the counter-attack.

Barca defender Alejandro Balde was forced off with concussion in the first half after a clash with Sandro, to be replaced by Gerard Martin.

Las Palmas came close when Alberto Moleiro teed up Javi Munoz, who drilled wide, while Jules Kounde lashed an effort over at the other end.

Raphinha came closest to breaking the deadlock in the first half, scoring from an offside position, after Cillessen denied Pedri, and hitting the crossbar after being played through by Gavi.

Flick threw on Yamal at the break for Pablo Torre, hoping the winger would give Barca the advantage after an even first half.

- ‘Giving their all’ -

Las Palmas took a surprise lead early in the second half when Kirian Rodriguez played in Ramirez, who drilled home from the edge of the box.

Raphinha hit back quickly for Barcelona with a thumping long-range effort, but Las Palmas were soon ahead again.

Silva ran onto Munoz’s probing long ball and fired past Inaki Pena to restore the Canary Islanders’ advantage with his fifth goal in eight league matches.

Cillessen saved well to deny Yamal as Barca sought a leveller and Viti made a brave block to thwart Pedri.

Las Palmas survived eight minutes of stoppage time, with Dutch stopper Cillessen again saving from Yamal and two defenders desperately scrambling to block a late Robert Lewandowski chance to lock in the visitors’ victory.

“It was a very important win, we worked hard for it, Barca put you under a lot of pressure,” midfielder Moleiro told Movistar after Las Palmas sealed their first away win at Barcelona since 1971.

Since coach Diego Martinez’s arrival in October when they were bottom, the minnows have improved drastically and this win helped them climb five points clear of the relegation zone.

“Everyone is giving their all, and that’s the key,” added Moleiro.

Elsewhere, Jamal Musiala’s 85th-minute header salvaged a 1-1 draw for Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich at the home of Der Klassiker rivals Borussia Dortmund on Saturday.

Jamie Gittens opened the scoring in the first half, but Musiala’s leveller maintained Bayern’s record of zero losses in the league this term and moved them seven points clear at the top of the table.

With Bayer Leverkusen winning at Union Berlin earlier on Saturday, Bayern’s lead at the top of the Bundesliga has been reduced following the draw -– and Eintracht Frankfurt have the chance to cut it down to four when they face Heidenheim on Sunday.

Dortmund went back above Freiburg, who won earlier on Saturday, into fifth place but still remain 10 points behind the leaders.

This Klassiker was a meeting between the teams with the best home and away records in the Bundesliga, and always promised to be an entertaining contest.

The latest edition didn’t disappoint, with Bayern starting the game on top.

But Dortmund steadied the ship and took the lead in the 27th minute through a superb individual goal by Gittens.

With Bayern’s defence caught high up the field, Dortmund captain Nico Schlotterbeck spotted the run of Gittens, whose stepover left Konrad Laimer in his wake. His searing pace kept him clear of Laimer down the left flank and he finished expertly past Manuel Neuer.

It was a moment of brilliance from the Englishman and a repayment to coach Nuri Sahin for the faith he had shown in the 20-year-old.

It was also the first goal Bayern had conceded since 23 October, breaking a run of clean sheets that had stretched back eight games in all competitions.

Bayern’s problems were compounded five minutes later with the loss of Gittens’ compatriot Harry Kane, with the England captain forced off early with an apparent hamstring issue.

Neuer kept Bayern in the game with a crucial save just after the hour mark, when Max Beier crafted a golden opportunity for Marcel Sabitzer, but the goalkeeper made an expert save with his right leg.

Bayern controlled much of the second half but couldn’t convert their ball superiority into goals until Bayern’s best player on the night secured a point.

Leroy Sane’s free-kick struck the Dortmund wall, Sane found Michael Olise, whose pinpoint cross was nodded in by Musiala.

– © AFP 2024