In an exciting finish, Javi Munoz belted in a stoppage-time winner. His goal earned Las Palmas an unlikely 1-0 win over Atletico Madrid at the Estadio Gran Canaria. This shock loss landed a crushing blow at Atletico’s slender and perishable prospects of reaping the LaLiga title. Now, the squad has an extremely tough task ahead of them to win back their positions in the league.
The final played out with Atletico Madrid controlling the match, particularly after halftime. For all their possession, the U.S. didn’t do a great job of generating dangerous chances. Goalkeeper Dinko Horkas came up large with saves from Julian Alvarez and Alexander Sorloth’s efforts. The tense atmosphere hit a fever pitch when Munoz found the net with a late goal. This victory propelled Las Palmas out of relegation danger and around 17th in the table with 32 points.
Impact on Title Race
Atletico Madrid are in a precarious position. They now find themselves in third place with 63 points, just three points adrift of Real Madrid in second. With very few matches left in the season, it’s now time for T21 to start taking shape. For them to overtake their opponents for the title almost appears an impossibility.
Javi Munoz expressed his certainty regarding his goal, stating, “I was certain that I wasn’t offside. When I saw that the ball was dead, I went to take advantage of the play.” His thunderous goal ensured a stunning comeback victory for Las Palmas. It raised the level of confidence in the club, as the squad’s determination to stay up within LaLiga is palpable.
Las Palmas’ Season Outlook
Las Palmas earned a potentially season-turning big win. That win saw them temporarily escape the drop zone, and they currently find themselves sitting two points clear of Alaves. Alaves will face Sevilla on Sunday, which could further determine the standings as teams vie for crucial points in the final stretch of the season.
Munoz emphasized the importance of this win for his team, saying, “There’s a lot of fighting left but we’re going to fight until the end. Let’s enjoy the victory and hope it helps us to keep believing that the team can do it.”
Reflections from Atletico Madrid
Following the match, Atletico’s Robin Le Normand acknowledged the difficulty of the defeat, stating, “It was a tough match, a defeat we have to put behind us and move on. Today is tough.” He further emphasized their commitment to compete despite the setback: “It’s clear that every point is important. Beyond fighting for the title, we wanted to play a very good match. They didn’t create much, but they’re playing for salvation, fighting for every ball. We didn’t get it right.”
Koke reflected on the match, noting, “They took a desperate long shot and scored. We had a couple of chances in the first half that their goalkeeper saved.” Furthering his point, his comments illustrated Atletico’s failure to finish their chances, which proves to be the main factor in their disappointing result.
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