Las Palmas Shock Atlético Madrid With Last-Gasp Goal: Title Race in Turmoil

Las Palmas Stun Atlético Madrid With a 93rd-Minute Masterstroke

When Gran Canaria stadium roared to life in the 93rd minute, few saw it coming. A gritty Las Palmas side, fighting tooth and nail to steer clear of relegation, managed to outlast a possession-heavy Atlético Madrid and snatch a landmark 1-0 win in stoppage time. Javi Muñoz, a defender not known for goal-scoring, became the unexpected hero. His decisive strike—pounced into the net after Atlético failed to clear—stood after a tense VAR check for offside, instantly rewriting the script for both teams as the LaLiga season races toward its close.

For Atlético Madrid, this was supposed to be a mending mission. But instead, the night turned into a familiar nightmare. Simeone’s men, sitting third in the table with 63 points, now find themselves three behind Real Madrid and feeling the heat with little margin for error. The echoes of the crowd’s celebration in Las Palmas could almost be heard as far as Madrid, a reminder of how fragile title challenges can become in the closing weeks.

Relentless Survival Fight for Las Palmas

On paper, Atlético Madrid held the cards—dominance in possession, a history of overcoming pressure, and a desperate desire to keep their title dreams alive. But Las Palmas were all heart and grit. Coach García Pimienta set them up to frustrate, their lines tight and efforts relentless. Every time Atlético probed, Las Palmas responded with dogged defending and flashes of threat through Álex Suárez and Dário Essugo. The home side’s keeper, Dinko Horkas, stood tall with critical saves, denying the likes of Julian Álvarez and Alexander Sørloth. Even as Atlético pressed in the second half—desperately searching for a breakthrough—Las Palmas held their nerve, never letting the visitors settle for even a moment.

When chances arrived for Atlético, they failed to capitalize. Sørloth's late header failed to trouble the keeper, and Giuliano Simeone scuffed his chance under pressure. Every miss felt heavier as the clock ticked down. Then came the frantic finish: a moment of chaos in Atlético's box, the ball scrambled towards Muñoz, and a swift, low shot past Oblak. The referee’s whistle paused celebrations for a VAR check, but the stadium erupted for real when offside was ruled out.

This wasn’t just three points for Las Palmas; it was a surge of hope. That victory rocketed them to 17th, just above the drop zone, and potentially changed the mood for the run-in. Stefan Bajcetic shone in the heart of midfield and earned the Man of the Match nod, setting the tempo and making life as uncomfortable as possible for Atlético’s creative forces.

After the match, Atlético defender Robin Le Normand didn’t sugarcoat it: “It hurts. They didn’t create much, but they’re fighting to stay up. We couldn’t find the answer,” he admitted, showing exactly how much pressure these moments bring. Simeone himself called it a tough night, with his side now facing their first back-to-back away losses in league play since 1980.

The title race looks bleaker for Atlético, but for Las Palmas, the belief is suddenly alive. With weeks to go, both ends of the table just got a lot more interesting.