LaLiga: Las Palmas Snatch Draw Against Celta Vigo with Moleiro's Equalizer

Las Palmas moved out of the relegation zone with a valuable point earned in a 1-1 draw against Celta Vigo, with Moleiro's strike canceling out Alfon's opener.

Celta Vigo dominated possession and created several scoring opportunities, but ultimately had to settle for a 1-1 draw against a determined Las Palmas side at Balaídos. The visitors' resilience was tested when they lost starting goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen to an injury in the first half, but they managed to hold on for a share of the spoils.

FT: #CeltaLasPalmas 1-1

Points shared in a tight encounter at Balaídos 🤝#LALIGAEASPORTS pic.twitter.com/ttCD654oxP

— LALIGA English (@LaLigaEN) March 31, 2025

Celta Vigo started the match strongly, with Alfon Gonzalez playing a key role as the team's primary creative force in the final third. Gonzalez's presence caused problems for the Las Palmas defense, and Celta looked like the more dangerous team in the early stages of the match. However, despite their dominance, Celta were unable to capitalize on their chances, and Las Palmas remained in the contest.

The first half saw Celta Vigo gradually gain momentum, and it wasn't until midway through the period that they came close to scoring, courtesy of Borja Iglesias. However, Las Palmas goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen made an outstanding save to deny Iglesias' attempt from the edge of the six-yard box, temporarily preserving the deadlock.

Cillessen's heroics were short-lived, as a collision with Iglesias forced him to exit the pitch on a stretcher. The severity of the injury raises concerns that Cillessen may be ruled out for the remainder of the 2024-25 LaLiga campaign. Dinko Horkas replaced Cillessen in goal for Las Palmas and made an immediate impact, producing a brilliant save to deny Iglesias another scoring opportunity from inside the box.

Despite Horkas' best efforts, Celta Vigo eventually broke the deadlock in the final minutes of the first half, courtesy of a beautifully crafted goal. Alfon received a clever setup from Iglesias before unleashing a curling effort that sailed past Horkas and into the net, sending the Gallegos into the break with a well-deserved lead.

Celta Vigo's lead was short-lived, as Las Palmas equalized just three minutes into the second half. Oliver McBurnie's low cross into the penalty box found Alberto Moleiro, who unleashed a powerful shot past Vicente Guaita to score his sixth goal of the season and level the match.

Despite conceding the equalizer, Celta Vigo continued to push forward in search of a winning goal. However, they struggled to create meaningful scoring opportunities and were nearly punished by Las Palmas midway through the second half. Fabio Silva capitalized on a rebound and appeared to have given the visitors the lead, but the goal was ultimately disallowed following a VAR review.

RESULTS | Here are the scores from Matchday 29 in #LALIGAEASPORTS! pic.twitter.com/Q4YC11zl8l

— LALIGA English (@LaLigaEN) March 31, 2025

The draw ultimately proved to be a frustrating result for Celta Vigo, as they remain in ninth place with 39 points, eight points behind eighth-placed Real Betis. Their hopes of securing European qualification for next season continue to fade. In contrast, Las Palmas will be relieved to have earned a point on the road, which lifts them out of the relegation zone and moves them one point clear of Alaves.

STANDINGS | Here's how the #LALIGAEASPORTS table looks after Matchday 29. pic.twitter.com/g0urptQUxC

— LALIGA English (@LaLigaEN) March 31, 2025