FC Barcelona needed a penalty kick in stoppage time to win 2-1 at Las Palmas and keep pace with leaders Real Madrid and Girona in the Spanish league.

Ilkay Gundogan sent his shot from the penalty spot into the middle of the net three minutes into added time to keep Barcelona within seven points of leaders Madrid and Girona at the halfway point of the season.

Madrid, who are ahead of Girona on a tiebreaker, defeated Mallorca 1-0 on Wednesday, while Girona beat fifth-places Atletico Madrid 4-3.

“Everyone is having a hard time winning,” Barcelona coach Xavi Hernández said.

“Girona’s victory came in the last second, Madrid needed a goal off a corner in the 80th, and we did it with a penalty in the final moments. We have what it takes to win the league, you have to respect the defending champions.”

It was another poor performance by Barcelona, who ended last year with three setbacks before edging last-place Almeria in a match in which they were booed by their fans.

Mid-table team Las Palmas were in control in the first half and squandered several chances to take the lead. Barcelona went into the locker room at half-time with no shots on target.

“What was important was to get the three points,” Barcelona forward Ferran Torres said. “We couldn’t get the timing right with the last pass in the first half.”

The hosts loudly complained of the penalty that prompted the decisive goal and a red card to Daley Sinkgraven for an alleged push on Gundogan inside the area.

Munir El Haddadi, a former Barcelona player, had put Las Palmas ahead from close range in the 11th, and Torres equalised in the 55th from inside the area.

Barcelona defender Joao Cancelo had to be replaced because of an injury about 10 minutes into the match at Gran Canaria Stadium.

Vitor Roque, the 18-year-old Brazilian who recently joined Barcelona, made his debut with the club after replacing Torres in the 78th. Roque missed a couple of clear chances after Barcelona took the lead late in the game.

Sevilla’s struggles continued with a 2-0 home loss to Athletic Bilbao, followed by Sergio Ramos getting into a verbal spat with a fan in his post-match interview.

The defender was talking to a television reporter by the sideline when he angrily responded to a fan who was apparently yelling at him from the stands. “Have some respect,” Ramos yelled.

FA Cup: Everton see red in draw

London: Everton held on for a 0-0 draw at Crystal Palace in the third round of the FA Cup, despite going down to 10 men when Dominic Calvert-Lewin was sent off in the second half.

The Premier League teams will meet again in a replay at Goodison Park to determine who advance to the next round.

Palace may regret missing the chance to take advantage after Calvert-Lewin’s contentious red card in the 79th minute at Selhurst Park for a foul on Nathanial Clyne.

Everton’s away fans were left incensed after VAR invited referee Chris Kavanagh to review what had appeared to be an innocuous challenge. After viewing the sideline monitor, the official opted to send off the England striker.

“The slow motion shows a different picture. If you want to slow-mo everything, you have to slow-mo everything,” Everton manager Sean Dyche said.

“There’s minor contact. In live time he doesn’t give anything, then they slow it down and everything looks worse slow.”

Palace had a chance to win the game in stoppage time when Eberechi Eze lashed a shot from the edge of the area that was headed for the bottom corner and required a diving save from Everton goalkeeper Joao Virginia.

“It was certainly a missed opportunity in the last 15 minutes playing against 10 men, but overall across the whole game both teams defended pretty well,” Palace manager Roy Hodgson said.

Everton also suffered a blow when Dwight McNeil sustained an injury and was taken off on a stretcher.

Neither side would have wanted a replay, with both prioritising top-flight survival.

AP/PTI