Ilkay Gündoğan secured a 2-1 comeback victory for Barcelona against 10-man Las Palmas in a heated LaLiga match on Thursday with a stoppage-time penalty.
In the 12th minute, Las Palmas took the lead as former Barcelona midfielder Sandro Ramirez assisted Munir El Haddadi, who fired home from close range. The hosts dominated the first half.
Barça responded 10 minutes into the second half after a defensive mistake allowed Sergi Roberto to set up Ferran Torres, who beat Las Palmas keeper Alvaro Valles with a scrappy finish.
Las Palmas defender Daley Sinkgraven received a red card for a push on Gündoğan in added time, and the former Manchester City midfielder converted the subsequent penalty, securing three points for Barcelona.
Las Palmas captain Kirian Rodríguez expressed frustration, stating, "I hope all the audios come out; it's not normal. It's a question of referees appearing as little as possible, not of them being more important than the players."
Barcelona coach Xavi defended the penalty decision, saying, "There is always tension. There are nerves, everyone wants to win. If you talk to me about the penalty, it seems clear to me. We won at the last moment with a penalty. I understand Kirian, but it's a push, and it's a penalty."
With this win, Barça moved to third place in the LaLiga standings with 41 points, trailing leaders Real Madrid and Girona by seven points. They are set to face Barbastro on Sunday in the Copa del Rey before the Spanish Super Cup semifinals against Osasuna on Thursday.
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