Jose "Pepelu" Garcia, a midfielder who just signed from Levante, scored a penalty in the 73rd minute after Javi Munoz was called for a handball in the penalty area. Valencia had a difficult time avoiding relegation the previous season and lost numerous players throughout the summer. Samuel Lino, Edinson Cavani, Yunus Musah, Justin Kluivert, Ilaix Moriba, and Nico Gonzalez were all regular starters who departed the team. Pepelu was one of the few players signed by the club owned by Singaporean investor Peter Lim, who Valencia supporters sometimes chastise for not investing more in the team.
The only option left to coach Ruben Baraja, a former midfielder for Valencia, was to give the team's young players a chance. While the hosts had the better opportunities and the visitors had more control in the first half, Las Palmas goalkeeper Alvaro Valles stopped efforts from Diego Lopez and Thierry Correa.