Barcelona have not been in their best of form of late, with only two wins in their previous fives games in all competitions. If it was not İlkay Gündoğan’s effort in the final moments of their away league clash against UD Las Palmas yesterday, the Catalan Giant would have dropped points for the eighth time in 19 matches in the Spanish top-flight football. Xavi’s Barca came from behind and won the game 2-1 at Gran Canaria, thanks to an equaliser by Ferran Torres and the conversion of a spot kick by their new summer signing from Manchester City İlkay Gündoğan.
İlkay Gündoğan Gave Barcelona Another Hard-Earned Victory
Before their friendly game against Club América from the Liga MX, Barcelona ended their three-game winless streak with a 3-2 victory over UD Almería on home soil, and in this away La Liga Matchday 19 fixture against Las Palmas, Xavi made three changes to the team that started in their previous league encounter, including the return of Frenkie de Jong from suspension.
It was the hosts who got the first lead of the game, when Moroccan attacker Munir El Haddadi scored against his former club as early as the 12th minute. 28-year-old Spanish striker Sandro Ramírez, who have also graduated from Barcelona’s academy and played for the senior side, timed his cross perfectly from the right flank, before the ball found Munir for the opening goal of this league clash. The home side would enjoy their lead for more than 40 minutes, until the Catalan Giants levelled things up.
Ferran Torres was the man who kickstarted Barcelona’s comeback victory, when the Spaniard converted his shot from close range into the bottom right corner. Xavi’s men got their golden opportunity to get the lead of the game in the closing stages, courtesy of Daley Sinkgraven’s clumsy challenge inside the penalty box. The 28-year-old Dutch left-back, who came onto the pitch in the 82nd minute, was given his marching orders moments after the added time was given due to a push on İlkay Gündoğan during an aerial duel. The substitute’s reckless action was punished by İlkay Gündoğan, who went on to score his third goal in 25 appearances for Barcelona and win the game for his new club.
Check This Out: How Xavi’s Catalan Giants End Winless Streak with a Hard-Fought 3-2 Victory Over Last-Placed UD Almería?
Xavi: “Everyone Is Having a Hard Time Winning.”
Head coach of Barcelona had this to say after İlkay Gündoğan winning the game late for the Catalan Giants: “Everyone is having a hard time winning, Girona’s victory came in the last second, Madrid needed a goal off a corner in the 80th, and we did it with a penalty in the final moments. We have what it takes to win the league, you have to respect the defending champions.”
The İlkay Gündoğan winner also gave Barcelona their 12th win in 19 league games in the 2023/2024 Season thus far, in which Ferran Torres, the man who scored the equaliser against UD Las Palmas, said: “What was important was to get the three points. We couldn’t get the timing right with the last pass in the first half.”
İlkay Gündoğan’s Barcelona will have another three Spanish La Liga games in the remainder of January 2024, but before these treble of league encounters can take place, the Catalan Giants will first compete against UD Barbastro in the Round of 32 of the Copa del Rey, followed by a Supercopa de España Semifinal matchup versus CA Osasuna. Stay tuned to OtherLeague.com for all the updates of these matches later this month!
STANDINGS | This is how the #LALIGAEASPORTS table looks after Matchday 19! 📊 pic.twitter.com/lpEN5dFWFs
— LALIGA English (@LaLigaEN) January 4, 2024
