Las Palmas 0 - Barcelona 1

Las Palmas: Nacho González; Baiano (Orlando 65'), Alvaro, Schurrer, Paqui, Jarni; Edu Alonso, Samways, Jorge (Toddi 65'); Guayre (Angel 80'), Oulare. 5-3-2.
Barcelona: Arnau; Puyol, Abelardo (Frank De Boer 85'), Petit; Xavi, Gerard; Simao, Luis Enrique (Cocu 80'), Sergi; Rivaldo (Alfonso 89'), Dani. 3-2-3-2.

Team changes: Las Palmas: Schurrer, Edu Alonso for Olias, Angel / Barcelona: Abelardo, Sergi, Dani for Frank De Boer, Cocu, Alfonso.

Goals:
0-1. 46. Rivaldo. Dummied keeper after through ball from Xavi and scored.

A funny game football, as we've said before. Three days ago Barcelona drew 1-1 against Numancia at home, and they were lambasted by the press for every crime under the sun; not trying, don't have the quality of players, don't play as a team, missed too many chances, manager doesn't know what he is doing etc. Then they produce a game almost identical against Las Palmas, with the only exception that Angel missed a last minute chance whereas Rubén Navarro scored his, and it's well done, team effort, etc. etc. I suppose they have to sell papers, but the truth is they were neither so bad midweek nor so good in this match. Rivaldo was once again their saviour however, with another class goal just after the restart, but he missed two more later in the half which he should have had for breakfast. Xavi's through ball to Rivaldo for his goal is what they were missing earlier in the season, and the way Rivaldo went round keeper Nacho González, with a 'bicicleta' feint to leave the keeper scrambling on the ground was text book stuff.

Barça manager Serra Ferrer made four changes to his side, bringing back Sergi on the left after being castigated for his mistakes two games ago, and with Cocu not fully fit after a bout of gastro-enteritis and Reiziger with flu, Abelardo came in to the defence, with Dani replacing Alfonso up front. Schurrer returned for Las Palmas after missing the game with Depor for contractual reasons, with Edu Alonso in for Angel. The home side were not overawed by their opponents and controlled the game at the start, Guayre creating problems for the defence and bringing a good save out of Arnau. At the other end Dani went close with a header after a cross by Simao. Rivaldo got his goal just after the break, with referee Iturralde González showing the red card to the Las Palmas assistant coach Diego Quintero for protesting about a possible offside. Toddi should have equalised a few minutes later after Arnau blocked Guayre's shot, but he put the ball over the bar. Then Rivaldo hit the inside of the post when it was easier to score, and a couple of minutes later he rounded González again but waited too long, eventually squaring for Luis Enrique who also over-hesitated.

Kresic replaced Guayre with Angel, and the youngster saw his shot tipped over the bar by Arnau. The game was heating up, and after Gerard and Samways had a set to, the referee had to calm everyone down. Abelardo clashed with his own keeper and was carried off semi-conscious with blood on the back of his head, Frank De Boer replacing him for the last five minutes. In injury time Las Palmas threw everything forward, and Arnau saved first from Schurrer and then threw himself to block a shot from Angel on the rebound. That was the end of the game and Barça move up the table to third pending the result of the Sunday matches, three points behind leaders Valencia. Las Palmas have now lost two in a row and go on to face Real Madrid next week, thankful that they built up a good reserve of points before entering the most difficult part of their league program.