Las Palmas vs NEOM

NEOM struck early. Algerian winger Saïd Benrahma, who had scored the winner against Orlando Pirates just a week earlier in Marbella, opened the scoring in the 8th minute. The goal went unassisted — a strike that left Las Palmas goalkeeper with no chance.

Benrahma's involvement was short-lived. He was substituted off in the 19th minute for A. Al Anzi, lasting just 11 minutes after his goal in what appeared to be a planned early substitution.

Las Palmas coach Rubén De La Barrera changed his entire outfield setup at half-time, making six substitutions at the restart (Marvin Park, Sergio Ruiz, I. Medina, Jefté Betancor, C. Navarro and José Caro all entered the fray). Three more changes followed — Valentín Pezzolesi (59'), Cristian Gutiérrez and Jesé (both 64') — as the Spanish side used the friendly primarily as a conditioning exercise.

NEOM's Abdulmalik Al Oyayari was booked in the 53rd minute. Las Palmas' Juan Herzog and NEOM's Muhannad Al Saad both received yellow cards in stoppage time as the game tightened.

Benrahma's 8th-minute goal gave NEOM a lead inside the opening ten minutes, and Las Palmas never truly threatened to overturn it. The early concession forced the Spaniards to chase the game for the remaining 82 minutes against a well-organised Saudi side. Las Palmas' wholesale half-time changes disrupted any rhythm they might have built, and NEOM's compact defensive shape comfortably protected the one-goal advantage.

• Saïd Benrahma (NEOM) — The former Brentford, West Ham and Lyon winger scored the only goal of the game, his second in a week after also netting the winner against Orlando Pirates. Subbed off at 19' as part of a managed fitness build-up. Player of the Match.

• A. Al Anzi (NEOM) — Replaced Benrahma in the 19th minute and helped NEOM maintain their shape and defensive solidity for the remaining 71 minutes.

• Juan Herzog (Las Palmas) — One of the brighter performers in a rotated second-half Las Palmas side, though his frustration earned him a stoppage-time yellow card.

Las Palmas used 15 different players across the 90 minutes, with six changes at half-time alone — a clear signal that fitness and rotation, not result, were the priority for De La Barrera. NEOM, by contrast, made just one substitution, keeping the same defensive structure throughout. The single goal came within the first ten minutes, and the game settled into a controlled pre-season tempo thereafter. No detailed xG or possession data is available from the provider payload, but the game flow suggests NEOM created the only meaningful chance and defended it with discipline.

For Las Palmas, this was the final match of their Marbella pre-season camp (20-31 July). They finished with a mixed set of results: a 3-2 win over União Leiria (28 July) and this 1-0 defeat to NEOM, having also faced Orlando Pirates (22 July) and Al-Ittihad (25 July) earlier in the camp. Rubén De La Barrera's side will now return to Gran Canaria to finalise preparations for the 2026/27 Segunda División season, which begins on 8 August.

For NEOM, this continued an impressive pre-season run in Spain. The Saudi Pro League newcomers — who signed high-profile players including Benrahma and former Arsenal striker Alexandre Lacazette this summer — beat Orlando Pirates 1-0 on 24 July before backing it up with victory over Las Palmas. They head into the 2026/27 Saudi Pro League season with momentum.

A routine pre-season workout decided by a moment of quality from Benrahma inside the opening ten minutes. Las Palmas treated the match as a fitness rotation exercise, while NEOM showed the defensive organisation and individual quality that should serve them well in their debut Saudi Pro League campaign.