Barcelona reclaimed the top spot in La Liga with a 2-0 victory over Las Palmas on Saturday, thanks to goals from Dani Olmo and Ferran Torres.
The Catalan side temporarily lost their position after Atletico Madrid defeated Valencia but quickly responded with a hard-fought win on the road, moving one point ahead of Diego Simeone’s team.
Substitute Olmo made an immediate impact, delivering a composed finish before Torres struck late to secure all three points.
The result also served as redemption for Barcelona after suffering a surprising home loss to Las Palmas earlier in the season.
Meanwhile, reigning champion Real Madrid, currently in third place, has the chance to draw level on points with Barcelona if it overcomes Girona later on Saturday.
The first half saw Barcelona struggle to break down Las Palmas’ disciplined defense, with their attacking efforts lacking precision. In response, coach Hansi Flick introduced Dani Olmo at halftime, replacing the subdued Fermin Lopez.
Olmo’s initial touch was an errant pass that sailed out of play, but he quickly regained composure.
Moments later, Lamine Yamal surged forward and slipped the ball to Olmo, who displayed impressive footwork to carve out space before finding the net.
Las Palmas pushed for an equalizer, and former Barcelona forward Sandro Ramirez came close, narrowly missing Wojciech Szczesny’s post with a powerful strike.
On the opposite end, Yamal grew increasingly influential, delivering a pinpoint cross to Robert Lewandowski. However, the league’s top scorer directed his header straight at Jasper Cillessen.
The Polish striker later fired over the bar after an excellent setup from Alejandro Balde, as Barcelona began exploiting the defensive gaps left by their opponents.
Las Palmas appealed for a penalty when Eric Garcia’s arm was struck by the ball inside the box, but VAR intervened, ruling an offside in the buildup.
With eight minutes of stoppage time added, Las Palmas hoped for a late twist, but it was Barcelona that struck again. A misplaced pass in defense allowed Raphinha to pounce and set up Torres, who drilled the ball past Cillessen to seal the victory.
The defeat leaves Las Palmas in a precarious position, sitting 17th and level on points with 18th-placed Valencia in the relegation zone.
