Dani Olmo and Ferran Torres scored to give Barcelona a 2-0 victory at Las Palmas on Saturday, lifting them back to the top of La Liga.
After Atletico Madrid temporarily moved into first place with a win over Valencia, Barcelona reclaimed the position with a hard-fought victory on the road, now one point ahead of the Rojiblancos.
Substitute Olmo fired in a fine finish before Torres sealed the win with a powerful strike, avenging Barcelona’s surprising home defeat to Las Palmas earlier in the season.
Champions Real Madrid, currently in third, can match Barcelona’s points if they defeat Girona at home on Saturday.
Barcelona struggled in attack during a tight first half, failing to break down Las Palmas’ defense. At halftime, coach Xavi made a change, bringing on playmaker Dani Olmo for the quiet Fermin Lopez.
Olmo’s first touch was a poor pass out of play, but he quickly regained his composure to make a decisive impact.
Lamine Yamal skipped forward and slipped the ball to Olmo, who showed good footwork to find space in the box and finish.
Las Palmas pushed forward in search of an equaliser and former Barca striker Sandro Ramirez lashed an effort narrowly wide of Wojciech Szczesny’s post.
At the other end Yamal burst into life, increasingly threatening, and crossed for the league’s top scorer Robert Lewandowski, who directed his header straight at Jasper Cillessen.
Lewandowski fired over the bar after a clever assist from Alejandro Balde, as the Polish striker found more space in the second half due to Las Palmas’ defensive lapses.
Las Palmas appealed for a penalty when a shot struck Eric Garcia’s arm in the box, but a VAR review revealed an offside in the build-up, nullifying the claim.
Eight minutes of stoppage time were added, giving Las Palmas a glimmer of hope, but it was Barcelona who struck in the dying moments.
A misplaced pass at the back was intercepted by Raphinha, who quickly fed Torres, and the Spanish forward drilled the ball past Cillessen to seal the win for Barcelona.
The defeat leaves Las Palmas in 17th place, level on points with 18th-placed Valencia, inside the relegation zone.
