Las Palmas Leave Atletico Madrid in Awe, Stunning La Liga Lead-Chasers

Atletico Madrid missed an opportunity to take the top spot in La Liga as they suffered a surprising 2-1 defeat by Las Palmas on Friday. The loss prevented Diego Simeone’s team from drawing level with Real Madrid and Girona at the summit of the league with a victory. Las Palmas, currently in ninth place and participating in their first season in the top flight since 2018, outplayed Atletico Madrid to secure a notable triumph. Kirian Rodriguez and Benito Ramirez scored for Las Palmas in the second half, with Alvaro Morata scoring one back for Atletico Madrid late in the game.

Before this match, Atletico Madrid had secured six consecutive victories in the league. Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak acknowledged the brilliance of Las Palmas, stating that they made it difficult for his team to play and bring the ball out. He recognized that in the highly competitive La Liga, any team can cause an upset if things don’t go as planned.

Despite the defeat, Oblak expressed confidence in his team’s ability to stay in the title race and finish the season on a positive note. He emphasized that there are still plenty of games to play in the long La Liga season, and the team needs to stay strong, improve, and win matches to achieve their goals.

The first half of the match was tightly contested, with Las Palmas showcasing their defensive strength, conceding fewer goals than any other team besides Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid. Atletico’s Rodrigo Riquelme had the best chance of the first half but failed to convert.

Las Palmas took the lead in the 51st minute through Kirian’s well-placed shot from outside the box. Atletico Madrid complained about a potential previous out-of-bounds incident, but the hosts kept the ball in play, allowing Kirian to strike. Riquelme came close to equalizing soon after, hitting the post with a low effort.

Atletico made a tactical substitution, replacing Antoine Griezmann with Angel Correa in an attempt to turn the game around. However, Las Palmas extended their lead in the 75th minute when Benito Ramirez scored a low effort past Jan Oblak at the near post.

Morata revived hope for Atletico Madrid with a goal from Riquelme’s cross, but they couldn’t find an equalizer. Morata had a chance to level the score, but his shot hit the crossbar.

Las Palmas player Kirian credited their promotion to challenging matches like this one, stating that Canarian players rise to the occasion when faced with stronger opponents. He commended the team’s determination and competitive spirit.

Next, Atletico Madrid will host Celtic in the Champions League, and Simeone will demand a far better performance from his team than what was displayed in this match. Simeone acknowledged that Las Palmas played well and deserved the victory.

Atletico Madrid’s loss to Las Palmas is a disappointing setback in their pursuit of the La Liga title. The hosts outplayed Atletico and deserved their victory. Despite this setback, Atletico’s goalkeeper believes they will bounce back and remain in the title race. They need to learn from this defeat and improve their performance in future matches.