Las Palmas Battles Back Twice to Hold Sevilla to a 2-2 Draw
The yellow-clad side kicked off the season in front of 24,843 fans who never stopped cheering on their team in the opening match of the La Liga campaign.
The first point of the season is already in UD Las Palmas’ account. On Friday, Luis Carrión's squad fought back to a 2-2 draw at the Estadio de Gran Canaria against Sevilla. The home side had to dig deep, coming back from 0-1 and 1-2 deficits, with McBurnie and Sandro stepping up to level the scoreline.
Luis Carrión drew inspiration from the formation he used at Anfield against Liverpool just a week prior, setting the stage for UD Las Palmas' first appearance in the 2024-25 La Liga season.
The first half was a game of two phases: before and after the 0-1. Sevilla looked sharper from the get-go, forcing Jasper Cillessen into action just three minutes in, as he parried away a shot from Ocampos following a second wave of Andalusian attacks.
For a spell, the home side struggled to find their rhythm, with Sevilla pressing hard and creating uncertainty in Las Palmas' play. The breakthrough came when Pedrosa surged forward from his own half into the box. His final ball took an unfortunate deflection off Álex Suárez, leaving Cillessen with no chance as the ball found the back of the net.
However, the tide turned after the opening goal. Las Palmas showed grit and determination, forcing Sevilla to drop deeper as they pushed forward. After several offensive moves, debutant Oli McBurnie came close to scoring in the 35th minute. The Scotsman’s header from a cross rattled the post, leaving the crowd on edge.
The equalizer felt inevitable, and it arrived in the 41st minute. Kirian delivered a perfect ball into the box, aiming for McBurnie. In an attempt to clear, Nianzou only succeeded in redirecting the ball into his own net. The score was 1-1 at halftime, with Las Palmas gaining momentum.
The second half followed a similar pattern. After a few minutes of back-and-forth action, Sevilla regained the lead as Juanlu capitalized on a setup by Isaac Romero.
Las Palmas took the blow but responded quickly. From the bench came the equalizer, courtesy of Sandro. The local striker found space after a pass from Javi Muñoz and chipped the ball over Nyland into the net.
With plenty of time left to complete the comeback, Las Palmas pushed forward but couldn't create any more clear-cut chances, except for two from Sow, both denied by the sharp reflexes of Cillessen.
