By florida 
Okay so last night I finally got around to watching the replay of the Las Palmas vs Atletico Madrid match everyone’s been buzzing about. Honestly, I was curious – one team fighting hard up from the Segunda, the other always grinding for points. Grabbed my notebook and settled in with a coffee.
Getting Prepared and Settling In
First thing I did? Made sure I avoided social media spoilers! Nothing worse than knowing the score before you hit play. Then I pulled up the starting lineups online to get a feel for who was playing. Noticed Las Palmas had that midfielder Kirian starting – heard good things about his passes.
The First Half Action
Kicked off and wow, Las Palmas really brought the energy early! They pressed Atletico hard, made them uncomfortable passing out the back. Felt like Atletico were kinda sluggish, maybe thinking it’d be easier? Then BOOM! Around the 20-minute mark, it happened. Las Palmas got a free kick near the box. Mauquillo whipped it in and bang! Benito Ramirez heads it home! Place erupted! Wrote in my notes: “HUGE start for home team. Atleti look asleep.”
Atletico tried waking up after that, obviously. Griezmann got one decent half-chance but nothing major. Las Palmas held their shape pretty darn well. Went into halftime 1-0 and I’m thinking “Can they really pull this off?!”
Second Half Shifts and Atleti’s Push
Simeone clearly lit a fire under Atleti at halftime. They came out way faster, more aggressive. Depay came on early for them too. The pressure started building, Las Palmas dropping deeper and deeper. Oblak barely had to touch the ball this half!
Las Palmas defended like madmen though! Blocking shots, clearing everything. Goalie Valles made a couple of decent saves but honestly, it was mostly bodies on the line stuff. Kept thinking “Just hold on!” The tension was real even watching a replay.
The Gut-Punch Finish
Then… the 83rd minute. Classic Atletico. Grind you down. Morata gets half a yard in the box after a scramble and smashes it in. 1-1. Felt so predictable in that moment, you know? They just keep coming. Las Palmas were shattered. The stadium went quiet. Brutal.
My Final Thoughts Scribbled Down
Finished my coffee feeling a bit deflated for Las Palmas. But wow, what I saw:
- Las Palmas were SO brave that first half. Gameplan perfect.
- Ramirez’s header was absolutely top quality.
- Second half was a total defensive shift for them. Heroic effort.
- Atletico just showed that relentless nature again. Don’t write them off ever!
- Morata did what he does – popped up when it mattered most.
That equalizer crushed Las Palmas fans, you could see it. Huge point stolen by Atleti. Feels like a loss for Las Palmas after that fight. Shows why Atletico are where they are. Needed that point badly and scraped it. Great game to watch though! Tons of drama. Ended my notes with: “Oof. Football is cruel sometimes.”