FC Barcelona secured a narrow 1-0 victory against UD Las Palmas, but the match was not without controversy, particularly surrounding the use of VAR.
In the first half, a goal by Raphinha was disallowed due to a contentious offside decision by the Brazilian. However, Raphinha found redemption in the second half, scoring the decisive goal and helping Barcelona claim the three points.
The victory against UD Las Palmas was hard-fought and marked by two key factors: Barcelona’s profligacy in front of goal and the intervention of VAR.
Despite creating numerous scoring opportunities, Barcelona’s forwards struggled to find the back of the net.
Additionally, the match was marred by controversy when Raphinha’s goal was disallowed in the 19th minute due to a VAR-assisted offside call.
The contentious decision stemmed from Raphinha being deemed marginally offside at the start of the attacking move, initiated by a pass from Robert Lewandowski.
While Lewandowski failed to make contact with the ball, the presence of another player, Saúl Coco, was deemed to have influenced Raphinha’s offside position when he took his shot on goal. Consequently, the referee, Busquets Ferrer, annulled the goal following a VAR review.
Fortunately for Raphinha and Barcelona, the Brazilian winger found the back of the net in the 60th minute, this time with a header assisted by Joao Félix.
In a gesture of irony, Raphinha mimicked the VAR review signal during his goal celebration, expressing his disagreement with the earlier disallowed goal.
Despite the controversial decision, Raphinha remained focused on securing the victory and emphasized the importance of the three points for Barcelona’s confidence.
Reflecting on the match in a post-game interview with ‘Movistar,’ Raphinha emphasized the significance of the victory and the team’s resilience.
He dismissed any correlation between the match outcome and the recent announcement of Xavi Hernández’s departure, attributing the win to the team’s internal discussions and determination to improve their performances.
Overall, Raphinha’s goal proved crucial in securing the victory for Barcelona and maintaining their pursuit of success in the league.
Despite the contentious VAR decision, Barcelona emerged triumphant, reaffirming their commitment to fighting for every point until the end of the season.
