İlkay Gündoğan scored a stoppage time penalty to secure Barcelona a 2-1 win against Las Palmas in La Liga on Thursday.
Las Palmas had taken an early lead in the match after former Barça player Munir El Haddadi finished off a flowing move for the underdogs in the 12th minute of the match.
Ferran Torres then equalized for the visitors in the 55th minute, before Gündoğan was handed the chance to win all three points.
The midfielder was adjudged to have been pushed in the back by Daley Sinkgraven, who received a red card for the foul.
Gündoğan calmly slotted his penalty past Álvaro Valles in goal to hand the Blaugrana a vital three points in the league.
Las Palmas were left furious by the decision to award Barça the penalty, with midfielder Kirian Rodríguez questioning the referee after the game.
But Barcelona manager Xavi said he thought it was the right decision.
“There is always tension. There are nerves, everyone wants to win. If you talk to me about the penalty, it seems clear to me,” Xavi said, according to Reuters.
“We won at the last moment with a penalty. I understand Kirian [Rodríguez], but it’s a push and it’s a penalty.”
It was an ill-tempered encounter, with seven yellow cards being shown in addition to Sinkgraven’s red.
The win, though, sends Barcelona third in La Liga as it continues its bid to chase down Real Madrid and Girona who both sit seven points ahead at the halfway point of the league title race.
