Ilkay Gundogan scores a penalty in the 93rd minute to give Barcelona a 21 victory over Las Palmas

Xavi Hernandez calls for respect for Barcelona as they remain seven points behind LaLiga leaders Real Madrid and Girona

Barca come from behind to secure an important win, with Joao Cancelo picking up an early injury

Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez has called for "respect for the reigning champions" after his team secured a crucial 21 victory against Las Palmas. The win came courtesy of a stoppagetime penalty by Ilkay Gundogan, who sealed the result after Ferran Torres had cancelled out former Barca striker Munir El Haddadi's opener.

Xavi emphasized that despite being seven points behind joint LaLiga leaders Real Madrid and Girona, Barcelona are still very much in the title race. He highlighted how difficult it is to win games in LaLiga and pointed out that there are strong arguments for Barca to challenge for the title.

The match marked the halfway stage of their campaign, where Barca were able to climb into third place following their comeback victory. Despite facing initial setbacks including an early injury to Joao Cancelo, Xavi remains optimistic about his team's chances moving forward.

He also praised Vitor Roque on his debut appearance and expressed confidence in having strong competition within their attacking lineup.

Looking ahead, Barcelona will now shift focus towards Copa del Rey before traveling to Saudi Arabia for Spanish Super Cup action next week.