The first game back from an international break has almost always sidetracked Barcelona from good form, but this time around this was not the case. With the returning players in action, the Blaugrana breezed past Las Palmas, the score line however being very deceiving.
From the whistle, Barça seemed to have no lapses of concentration from the break of fixtures and got into the match quickly. The team had complete control of the match, with Cubarsí providing the essential build-up play from the back.
Barcelona came close to scoring in the 18th minute, when Lewandowski dummied the ball to Fermín who sent the ball back to the Polish striker and had the ball deflected into Raphinha to shoot it in the empty net. Strangely enough, the goal was ruled out for offside, even though Lewandowksi was onside and Raphinha didn't touch the ball until after the deflection.
The home side would continue to mount up the pressure, as five minutes later Raphinha would be played in behind the Las Palmas defense and ended up getting fouled by the opposition goalkeeper; flipping mid-air. Without hesitation, the referee pulled out the red card and Barça would have the man's advantage for the remainder of the match.
Barça was desperate to get on the scoresheet before halftime, with Lewandowski's header hitting the crossbar and Raphinha completely missing a point-blank chance inside the box, the game remained goalless at the half.
But the second half would provide the game's breakthrough with the substitution of Félix in the match. In the 58th minute, he drifted inside the middle of the pitch and delivered a beautiful lobbed pass to Raphinha who powered the ball in the top corner with a great header.
The Blaugrana would continue pressing forward trying to secure the win and would have an opportunity to score a second. But Félix, who played a delightful assist to Raphinha's goal, missed a golden chance to score, with Koundé's pass across the goal that he would hit off the crossbar and out.
Barça wouldn't be able to score a second for the rest of the match, but would close it out and pick up the three points with ease.
All Eyes on Paris
With Barcelona not playing another match for almost 2 weeks due to the upcoming Copa Del Rey Final, it provides the opportunity for focus and healing for the squad.
The next match will be the anticipated clash against PSG at the Parc des Princes in the Champions League Quarterfinals. With the recent news announced that both Pedri and Frenkie De Jong are set to be fit for action in the upcoming first leg, Barça will receive a boost of talent injection with all the ingredients that can possibly beat the French side.