1-0: THREE VITAL POINTS

In such a long season, would it have come any other way against Las Palmas? For more than 100 minutes, we fought, dug in to get our first home win of 2025 when we needed it most. This time, after taking the lead with a header from García Pascual, the team knew what they had to do to not drop two points. Las Palmas pushed until the very end, but with the backing of the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán, we held on for a big win. 

On a tense night for both teams, the tension was echoed at the start of the game. While Las Palmas opted for a more leisurely style of football to get into the final third, we looked to take advantage of the pace of Juanlu on one flank and Carmona on the other to create danger. Both teams made the most of their initial plan in the form of chances, but without making the most of them. For Las Palmas, Januzaj's counter-attack on the quarter-hour mark ended with a shot that was easily saved by Nyland. For Caparrós' side, a couple of runs down the right and then pulling the ball back were the most dangerous weapons. Lokonga curled over high from a pull-back on the half-hour mark, while shortly afterwards, the Arsenal loanee had another attempt at a similar move from Juanlu. Although he found the target, this time it was goalkeeper Horkas who kept the ball out. 

In the last few minutes of the first half everything seemed to come to a halt with the injury to Kike Salas who had to come off with a muscle injury as Ramón came off the bench on the verge of half-time. It was expected to be a very long match in terms of time and intensity, as it turned out to be. What was perhaps not in the script was García Pascual's goal in the seventh minute of the second half. A free-kick from Suso, a flick on from Agoumé - arguably the two best players on the night - and stirker headed home from the edge of the area to make it 1-0. Almost immediately, after a dribble inside the area by Suso, he had another chance with a shot that he smashed straight into Campaña. But it was not to be that simple. Lokonga was forced off with injury and García Pascual was replaced by Antonetti after a knock.

Las Palmas tried with more heart than ideas, but that did not alleviate our suffering as the minutes seemed to tick by ever more slowly. Suso had another chance with another free kick that Horkas pushed behind for a corner and the scare came with fifteen minutes to go when McBurnie's goal was disallowed for a foul on Nyland by Marc Cardona. Nine minutes were added, although the game would last until the 102th. In added time, Antonetti could have made it two with a one-on-one with Horkas, but he couldn't find Lukebakio breaking free down the right. It was agony until the last second, with Sandro Ramirez's free-kick going just over the bar before the final whistle gave way to a burst of relief. Three much-needed points and now safety is in our grasp. It could be mathematical, in fact, if Leganés fail to get a point against Villarreal on Wednesday.