Real Madrid clinched a late 2-1 victory at Las Palmas, with Aurelien Tchouameni’s commanding header propelling them to the top of La Liga on Saturday.
Leading Girona by two points in the table after both teams have played 21 games, Carlo Ancelotti’s side sits at the top. Nevertheless, the Catalan minnows have a chance to regain the lead when they visit Celta Vigo on Sunday.
Javier Munoz provided Las Palmas an early lead in the second half, but Madrid mounted a comeback, with Vinicius Junior equalizing before Tchouameni secured the winner – a birthday triumph for him.
Barcelona, the reigning champions sitting in third place, face Villarreal later on Saturday, aiming for a crucial victory to avoid slipping behind Los Blancos, who staged a comeback in Gran Canaria.
With Ancelotti’s timely substitution, Tchouameni entered the game just three minutes before delivering the decisive winning goal.
“I look at the bench and I have chances to change the dynamic,” the Italian coach told reporters.
“It’s a tool that we have, with such a motivated bench, they bring a lot when they come on.”
Without the services of their primary goalscorer Jude Bellingham, who was suspended, Madrid called upon Brahim Diaz as his replacement, and Ancelotti opted to give Dani Ceballos a rare start in midfield.
The opening half saw few opportunities, with Las Palmas left-back Sergi Cardona posing the most significant threat. Despite a slight clip from Dani Ceballos in the area, the referee did not signal for a penalty, and Cardona narrowly missed smashing the ball over minutes later.
Vinicius had a few off-target attempts for Madrid at the opposite end, but Las Palmas goalkeeper Alvaro Valles was largely untroubled. Sitting in the eighth position, Las Palmas has surpassed expectations under the tutelage of former Barcelona reserves coach Francisco Garcia Pimienta, offering Madrid a competitive challenge for extended periods.
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A battle between the division’s top two defenses saw the deadlock shattered in the early stages of the second half. Munoz concluded a seamless counter-attack, initiated by Kirian Rodriguez’s astute pass that unleashed Sandro Ramirez down the right.
The ex-Barcelona forward delivered a crucial cross for Munoz, whose low shot took a fortuitous deflection off Nacho Fernandez. Dani Carvajal saw a goal disallowed for offside before Vinicius leveled the score for Madrid.
The Brazilian missed a promising chance by firing over the bar, but he made amends by leveling the score in the 65th minute.
With finesse, Eduardo Camavinga lofted a pass over the defense, finding Vinicius, who skillfully drilled the ball past Valles from a challenging angle.
With the intention of securing a victory, Ancelotti made a strategic move by bringing on Turkish attacker Arda Guler for his La Liga debut, as well as match-winner Tchouameni.
With just six minutes left, the French midfielder scored his second goal for the club, executing a superb header from Toni Kroos’ corner.
Real Madrid continues to showcase their prowess from set pieces in La Liga, and this goal from a corner is another testament to their effectiveness in this aspect throughout the season.
“We have to be proud, we competed, congratulations to Real Madrid,” said Las Palmas midfielder Munoz.
“They went behind and we knew they would come forward, we sat deeper, as a result, and they reacted.”