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Real Madrid overcomes Las Palmas to reclaim lead of Spanish league

Sat, Jan 27, 2024
Soccer News (AP)

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) - Vinicius Junior and Aurelien Tchouameni scored second-half goals as Real Madrid overcame Las Palmas 2-1 in the Canary Islands and reclaimed the lead of the Spanish league on Saturday.

After a first half stalemate between the league's top defenses, midfielder Javi Munoz put Las Palmas ahead in the 53rd minute from a pass by Sandro Ramirez.

Vinicius Junior leveled in the 66th after a nice assist by Eduardo Camavinga. Tchouameni then went on as a late substitute and powered in a header with six to play to complete the turnaround.

"We didn't play spectacularly but we played well enough," Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said. "We were going up against a team that holds the ball well and doesn't concede much. We had designed a game plan to control the first half and then press forward in the second. It is an important victory."

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Madrid moved two points ahead of Girona before it visits Celta Vigo on Sunday. Madrid also has an extra game to play. Las Palmas was in eighth place.

Madrid was without top scorer Jude Bellingham, who was serving a one-game suspension for accumulating five yellow cards. Bellingham and Girona's Artem Dovbyk lead the league with 14 goals each.

While Girona has been the feel-good story of La Liga, Las Palmas has also far exceeded expectations for a team that played in the second division last season and lacks a quality striker. Midfielder Kirian Rodriguez leads the team with five goals, and has completed the second highest number of passes in the entire league.

Coach Francisco Garcia Pimienta, who coached Barcelona's youth and reserve teams, has managed to make Las Palmas a defensively sound side not by packing the area but rather by holding possession.

That formula appeared to be working - until Camavinga shifted forward into a more creative role and linked with Vinicius to tilt the momentum Madrid's way.

Defense dominated in the first half of the match between the Spain's stingiest defenses - Madrid has allowed a league-low 14 goals and Las Palmas was next with 19.

Las Palmas started the second half well and broke through when Sandro led a counterattack before squaring a ball for Munoz to fire home.

Madrid finally started to click with half an hour left. Camavinga found a way past Las Palmas' backline with a chipped ball that Vinicius drilled in from an angle.

Madrid kept pressing for the winner and found it when Tchouameni, who had just replaced Camavinga, charged in to meet Toni Kroos' corner kick and beat goalkeeper Alvaro Valles.

"We played a good first half against a great rival," Munoz said. "But when we went ahead, they took a step forward and we took a step back."

Barcelona trailed Madrid by 10 points before hosting Villarreal late Saturday.

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