UD Las Palmas celebrated their 1-0 triumph over Granada with all the honors on an afternoon that had the magic of Kirian Rodríguez's goal in the 91st minute, even when the yellow team was down to ten men. The fantastic goal by the Tenerife-born player provides a morale boost for the yellow squad, which poured everything onto the pitch to overcome various adversities, especially after Mika Mármol's expulsion.
It was also the afternoon when Cristian Herrera made his professional debut for the Gran Canaria team, the club where he was nurtured. He came on a few minutes before the end and was able to celebrate with his teammates the great goal that reignites hope in the fight for survival.
UD Las Palmas started the match with determination, searching for that goal that would light up their hopes. To achieve this, García Pimienta made some adjustments to his recent tactics, with Maxi Perrone in the midfield, Viera and Pejiño on the wings, and Munir leading the attack.
In just a few minutes, Munir had the first attempts on goal. The first goal, however, was disallowed due to an offside position. Munir finished past André after a precise through ball, but the raised flag brought initial joy to a halt.
Las Palmas quickly found their rhythm and forced Granada into defensive work to counter the islanders' advances. In the 21st minute, Munir once again found the back of the net. However, this time, the Moroccan's precision was pinpoint, yet the referee and VAR disallowed the goal again.
As the minutes passed, Granada also pushed forward. Their best chance came around the half-hour mark during a counter-attack that was ultimately thwarted by Julián Araujo. The Mexican defender made a crucial interception to deflect the ball for a corner just as an opposing attacker was preparing to shoot.
Before half-time, there was worrying news for the home team. Three of their four defenders (Araujo, Mármol, and Sergi Cardona) had received yellow cards, which posed a risk in a match with such defensive demands.
This fact became a problem in the second half when Mika Mármol was sent off with a second yellow card in the 57th minute. Earlier, the referee had pointed to a penalty in the Canarian penalty area but had to reverse his decision upon VAR review. De Burgos checked the incident on the pitchside screen and determined that there was no foul.
Everything seemed to be against them, but Las Palmas showed determination to compensate for their complicated situation. In the 74th minute, even with ten men, they had a chance to take the lead. Marvin Park delivered an excellent ball into the area, but Sory Kaba's header missed the target. André also denied a shot from Sergi Cardona with quick reflexes.
Despite playing with ten men, the yellow team never lost hope of victory. And that victory was secured in the 91st minute when Kirian Rodríguez, with his left foot, fired a rocket into the top corner of the Grada Naciente's goal. The explosion of joy on the pitch, on the bench, and in the stands of the island's stadium was well-deserved.
