Today's victory propelled Real Madrid to the top of La Liga, with a two-point advantage over Girona, after the win by Las Palmas.
Real Madrid emerged triumphant with a 2-1 victory over Las Palmas in a thrilling La Liga match, going top of the league in a late-match spectacle.
The hero of the moment was Aurelien Tchouameni, whose stunning header on his birthday sealed the victory after Javier Muñoz had given Las Palmas an early lead in the second half.
The turning point came when Carlo Ancelotti strategically deployed Tchouameni, just three minutes before the French midfielder scored the decisive goal. Ancelotti highlighted the impact of a motivated bench, saying: “I look at the bench and I have opportunities to change the dynamic. It's a tool we have, with such a motivated bench, that they contribute a lot when they come in.”
With top scorer Jude Bellingham serving a suspension, Brahim Díaz came into the lineup and Ancelotti gave Dani Ceballos a rare opening in midfield. Despite a first half marked by limited opportunities, Las Palmas, under the direction of former Barcelona reserve team coach Francisco García Pimienta, showed an admirable game, exceeding expectations.
The clash between the league's best defenses finally broke the deadlock early in the second half. Muñoz took advantage of a well-executed counterattack started by Kirian Rodríguez and executed by Sandro Ramírez. Madrid responded with Vinicius equalizing the score in the 65th minute, thanks to a timely pass from Eduardo Camavinga.
In a bid to score the winning goal, Ancelotti made a bold move by introducing Turkish attacker Arda Guler for his La Liga debut alongside Tchouameni. The French midfielder, who had only scored his second goal for the club, achieved victory with a magnificent header after a corner kick from Toni Kroos, just six minutes from time.
Real Madrid's set-piece prowess, epitomized by Tchouameni's decisive goal, has been a constant theme in their La Liga campaign. The victory propelled Madrid to the top, with a two-point lead over Girona.
Reflecting on the intense battle, Las Palmas midfielder Muñoz recognized Madrid's tenacity and said: “We have to be proud, we compete, congratulations to Real Madrid. They went behind and we knew they were going to advance, that's why we sat deeper.” . And they reacted.”
