FC Barcelona forward Lionel Messi. (Photo : Getty Images)
Bottom-three squad UD Las Palmas (5-13-6, 21 points) is set to host the reigning Spanish top flight champions and current league leaders FC Barcelona (19-2-3, 60 points) at their home field of Estadio Gran Canaria in the Canary Islands on Saturday, Feb. 20th as the 2015-2016 La Liga season continues.
Las Palmas dropped a 0-2 game against fifth-running Sevilla FC at the Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán last Sunday, as reported by ESPN.
Quique Setien's boys made it a fight in the first hour of the match, keeping the game scoreless throughout the first half and most of the second as well.
However, Los Amarillos' defense finally gave up in the 69th minute when Argentine midfielder Ever Banega scored a left-footed shot from the right side of the box to open the scoring for the Sevillistas.
French striker Kevin Gameiro sealed the match for Los Rojiblancos to hand Las Palmas their second consecutive loss and fifth winless game in six outings.
Meanwhile, the mighty Barça trounced Sporting Gijon, 3-1, on the road at the Estadio El Molinón in Asturias, Spain on Wednesday for their seventh straight win, as per SkySports.
The Catalonia giants also extended their unbeaten streak to 17 games as they last experienced a loss in October 3rd of last year against Sevilla.
Five-time Ballon d'Or awardee Lionel Messi scored a double at the 25th and 31st to achieve the 300th and 301st La Liga goals of his career. The 28-year-old forward scored his first goal in the Spanish top flight 11 years ago. He was the first to achieve such feat.
Sporting striker Carlos Castro García managed to put the hosts on the board at the 27th, sandwiched by Messi's two goals, to escape a shutout from the champions.
Barça striker Luis Suárez sealed the win at the 67th to keep his team untouched at the top of the standings, six points clear off second-running Atletico Madrid.
The predicted result is a lopsided 4-0 win for Barcelona.
Las Palmas starting lineup (4-1-4-1 formation): Varas; Santana, Aythami, Bigas, Garrido; Quevedo; El Zhar, Dominguez, Viera, Mubarak; Jose
Barcelona starting lineup (4-3-3 formation): Bravo; Vidal, Pique, Mathieu, Adriano; Rakitic, Busquets, Turan; Messi, Suárez, Neymar
