UD Las Palmas beat Valencia 2-0 thanks to two goals in the final stretch, from defender Álex Suárez in the 89th minute, in a shot after a cross from Marc Cardona from the left, and from the Catalan striker himself, in the extension time, which allows the yellows to dream of European positions, with permanence now virtually achieved.
The last two goals resolved a very even match, which did not have many scoring opportunities, although the yellows improved in the second half and little by little they eroded the Valencian team, until they achieved the prize of three points almost in the last breath.
The first half was very balanced, in a game with small spaces, good intentions in both proposals, antagonistic in any case, with many duels and few opportunities, basically with distant shots and without aim.
Las Palmas could not take advantage of its usual tactic of attracting first and then starting to combine with precision and speed, while Valencia did not surprise either with its more direct football. Javi Muñoz tried with a low shot that Mamardashvili stopped without problems in the initial stretch of the clash.
Valencia, aware of the advanced defense of Las Palmas and that of its goalkeeper, Álvaro Valles, wanted to send a warning to the navigators with a shot by Pepelu from his own field, in the 16th minute, which did not find a goal.
A header from Mosquera that went wide in the 43rd minute after a foul was taken was perhaps the closest option to a goal for a Valencia team that did not struggle in the first half, with good defensive work, but did not threaten the team too much. his rival.
After the break it was more difficult for the ‘Pipo’ Baraja team against a UD Las Palmas that carried the weight of the match more, but without precision to find the final pass.
Peter Federico made his debut with a Valencia team that was going through its worst moment of the match, giving the sensation of having lost the control it had had until then, with dangerous arrivals from Munir and Sandro for the locals.
The subsequent changes gave some air to Baraja’s team, and one of those added, Jesús Vázquez, had two good chances, with a volley shot wide of Foulquier’s center in the 76th minute, and seconds later in an attempted pass to Peter which Mika Mármol deflected and forced Valles to make a reflex save.
Moleiro’s entry gave fresh air to Las Palmas, who resolved the clash in the final stretch: Álex Suárez went all out to a Marc Cardona cross from the left and opened the scoring with a header, with his first goal in the top category of the Spanish football.
In the extra time, Marc Cardona was once again the protagonist when he stood between a defender and the goalkeeper so that he could hit the ball and take it to the back of the net, a goal that also allowed Las Palmas to overcome the particular difference with Valencia in this unsuspected fight for the continental zone.