Las Palmas draws in Granada with a stunning goal from Pejiño (1-1)
UD Las Palmas returns from Los Cármenes stadium with a new point in their harvest, allowing them to get a little closer to the goal of staying in the league. The Gran Canarian players leveled a challenging match with Fran Pejiño's goal in the second half, balancing the initial goal by Bruno Méndez.
The match saw the return of Fabio González to the league after his long inactivity following the injury he suffered in the last match of the previous season.
García Pimienta chose Enzo Loiodice to replace the suspended Javi Muñoz in the starting eleven. The coach didn't consider other alternatives related to the team that faced Real Madrid in the previous week. The Frenchman integrated into a midfield triangle with Perrone and Kirian in an attempt to control the ball as Las Palmas approached the Los Cármenes match.
From the early plays, Las Palmas tested Argentine goalkeeper Batalla. The Argentine goalkeeper was a protagonist in the first half, repelling several attempts from the visiting players. The first significant chance of the first half came from Sandro, stealing the ball in the midfield. The striker ran vertically into the area, but his shot hit the local team's goalkeeper.
Sandro himself, Moleiro, and Loiodice later found Batalla's gloves in subsequent attempts. All this happened before Granada was reduced to ten players on the field. The red card was the result of a theft by Munir in the 17th minute. The Moroccan was heading towards the Andalusian goal when he was brought down by the last defender, Piatkowski. The initial yellow card turned into a direct expulsion upon VAR intervention.
Las Palmas continued dominating, seeking the goal that Kirian Rodríguez could have scored with a shot from outside the box in the 25th minute. However, the ball didn't cooperate with the Tenerife native, hitting the base of the post, skirting the Nazarí goal line, and eventually moving away.
When everything seemed to be under control, Granada scored 1-0 from a free-kick from the center of the field that defender Bruno Méndez finished with a crossed shot.
The game got stuck with numerous interruptions, fouls, and even a pile-up after Sandro received an elbow to the face near the area. This type of match didn't suit Las Palmas, so at halftime, the players had topics to discuss in the Granada stadium locker rooms.
Las Palmas regained control of their football in the second half, observing their rival protecting themselves with a multitude near their area. After several attempts and few shots, the 1-1 came from Pejiño. After a cross from Sergi Cardona, the Barbateño connected with a splendid header that ended up in Batalla's net.
That great goal opened an unsettling final stretch for both teams. The 1-1 didn't satisfy the Gran Canarian ambition, which took risks in the search for a second goal that could have come with a powerful shot from Loiodice saved near the post by Batalla, undoubtedly the most decisive player for Granada.
