The Canary Islands’ only top flight football club took a step closer to relegation with the weekend loss at home to Valencia.
UD Las Palmas needed to pick up all three points to keep alive their slim hopes of avoiding the drop after just two years back in La Liga but lost 2-3 to Valencia in a game that saw Scottish striker Oli McBurnie find the net late on to kindle hopes of a dramatic fightback at the Gran Canaria stadium. However, the comeback was not to be and the defeat leaves Las Palmas three points from the coveted 17th spot in the league, currently held by Alavés after Girona’s crucial win against Majorca last night, which lifted them six points above Las Palmas.
Realistically, Las Palmas need to win at least three of their last four games to have any chance of pulling of a late miracle and, with all the fixtures against bottom-half teams except Europe-chasing Ray Vallecano, the task might ordinarily seem feasible were it not for the disastrous run of form which has seen the side fall into the relegation zone. The win against Atlético de Madrid over Easter proved just a flash in the pan and the team have been unable to capitalise on the momentum gained from the unexpected victory.
If they do go down, they will not even have the incentive of cash-generating derbies against regional rivals CD Tenerife, who are currently in the 2nd Division but are now almost mathematically relegated to the third tier following the weekend draw against Levante. Relegation has been on the cards for much of a disastrous season by the Santa Cruz club, which is expected to ring in major changes over the summer to rebuild for a return to the ranks of fully professional football just three years after narrowly missing out on a money-spinning promotion to the top flight when they lost the playoff final in June 2022.
