Las Palmas vs. Real Madrid: Score and Reaction from 2016 La Liga Match
Real Madrid travelled to the Canary Islands on Saturday and managed only a 2-2 draw against Las Palmas, Real's second straight draw in La Liga.
Marco Asensio gave Real the lead after a back-and-forth first half, but Tana responded in kind, tying things up before half-time.
Karim Benzema restored the lead after the break, but former Barcelona man Sergio Araujo found a late equaliser.
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As Real's official Twitter account shared, Asensio earned another start, while Alvaro Morata got the nod over Benzema:
Las Palmas have one of the biggest home advantages in La Liga, with their stadium located nowhere near the Spanish mainland, and they have a tendency to start fast and try to take advantage of tired legs.
They did the same against Real, seizing possession early while trying to keep an eye on the counter-attack. Los Blancos did find chances, with Cristiano Ronaldo firing wide and Toni Kroos putting goalkeeper Javi Varas to work.
Morata was the next man to go close, testing Varas with a powerful header off a Kroos free-kick. Real then had two penalty shouts in a matter of seconds, first for a handball and then for a challenge on Ronaldo, but the official didn't award a spot-kick for either.
ESPN FC's Dermot Corrigan thought the Portuguese star milked the challenge:
The visitors kept up the pressure, and Ronaldo was heavily involved, volleying wide from 25 yards out. Morata was a nuisance for the hosts, but Varas would not let the former Juventus man score.
Las Palmas' chances were limited, with Momo almost picking out Jonathan Viera with an angled cross.
Ronaldo and Morata both saw their efforts blocked after a great run by Dani Carvajal, and Viera fired a shot straight at Real goalkeeper Kiko Casilla from a long way out. Tana didn't fare much better after a lovely ball over the top.
Real's opener eventually came through Asensio, who followed an attacking move well and was able to head home the rebound from close range after Varas had saved Nacho Fernandez's initial effort.
Per WhoScored.com, the 20-year-old has enjoyed an impressive start to his Real career:
But the visitors didn't get to enjoy their lead for long. Las Palmas, who had started to take the game to Real, launched an attack down the left wing as Raphael Varane failed to properly clear the ball, allowing Tana to easily slot one home from inside the box.
Per Corrigan, Casemiro is usually the guy who closes such gaps:
Sergio Ramos somehow avoided a booking for a clumsy foul on Vicente Gomez before Kroos picked out Gareth Bale, who watched as Varas parried his great volley.
Ramos and Viera were involved in a minor scuffle before the official signaled for half-time, and Corrigan noted Las Palmas were not making things easy on Real:
Real started the second half well, and Bale and Ronaldo nearly combined to hand their team the lead back, with Asensio caught offside trying to score off another rebound.
Luka Modric became more involved, forcing Viera to drop further back and defend. When the midfielder stayed down clutching his hamstring, Las Palmas lost arguably their best performer of the night.
Los Blancos increased the pressure, with Bale trying his luck with several runs, but the defence held firm. Carvajal comically tripped over his own feet inside the box, summing up the frustrating night for the visitors.
Michel put Casilla to work with a strike from range, and Benzema perhaps should have scored shortly after coming onto the pitch as Ronaldo reached him with a header at the back post. The Frenchman showed his rust, however, pushing the ball into Varas' arms.
He made up for his miss three minutes later, however, pouncing on another rebound after Varas denied Ronaldo's initial shot. Per AS, it was a smart substitution by manager Zinedine Zidane:
Ronaldo left the pitch soon after for Lucas Vazquez and was visibly upset with the substitution, refusing to make eye contact with Zidane.
Real stood firm in defence, however, as the loss of Viera appeared to have taken the sting out of Las Palmas' attack. The hosts kept pushing men up the field but barely mustered any chances until Araujo shocked Real in the 85th minute, scoring an unlikely equaliser.
The former Barcelona man finished off a mad scramble that saw the ball take several unlikely bounces. Corrigan didn't understand how Araujo got past Casilla:
With Ronaldo and Morata already on the bench and just five minutes left to play, Real's situation seemed dire. Modric drew a save from Varas, and Benzema wandered offside, allowing Las Palmas to take some more time off the clock.
Benzema perhaps should have found the winner after a great cross from Modric, but the France international blasted a volley over the bar in injury time.
As Corrigan reported, Zidane thought his team deserved the win:
Los Blancos will travel to Germany to play Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday, while Las Palmas will face Osasuna next Saturday.
