La Liga Barcelona and Granada: Highlights, End result 3-3, unimpressive Barça loses two games at home

A dreadful display both with and without the ball, paired with an extremely sad outcome.

After a wild and extremely disappointing 3-3 draw against Granada at the Montjuïc Olympic Stadium on Sunday night, Barcelona will conclude the weekend in third place in the La Liga table, 10 points behind the leaders. The second-worst club in the league earned a well-earned point in Catalonia as a result of Barça’s terrible play throughout the whole game and multiple mistakes committed both with and without the ball. This virtually ended Barça’s chances of winning the championship.

FIRST HALF

Granada had a full week to prepare for this game, and they were obviously ready for it when the visitors took the field. They executed a brilliant high-pressing strategy and swift, incisive passing sequences that created dangerous attacking opportunities, making Barça’s life miserable for the full forty-five minutes.

Despite having greater possession of the ball, Barça was unable to penetrate Granada’s press because of numerous long passes that were squandered and numerous midfield errors that put pressure on the defense. Ball progression was a major problem over the entire session, and Andreas Christensen and Frenkie de Jong’s double pivot seldom saw any of the ball.

However, the Blaugrana managed to take the lead in the 14th minute when Lamine Yamal, alone at the far post, was set up for an easy volley and the first goal thanks to a cross by João Cancelo. After that, the Catalans produced zero until over thirty minutes had passed. Yamal then launched a counterattack, which culminated with Robert Lewandowski seemingly certain to score, but Martin Hongla brilliantly cleared the goal line to deny it.

The equalizer that Granada’s play deserved arrived shortly after, when a cross from Facundo Pellistri found right-back Ricard Sánchez all by himself inside the box for a very nice finish that tied the score at one.

SECOND HALF

In the second half, Granada dropped deeper into a low block to try and use a well-coordinated defensive structure to frustrate Barça in the last third of the game. In the opening minutes of the half, the Catalans had finally had more possession of the ball in the visitors’ half, but they were unable to create any genuine opportunities.

Then, as the clock approached the hour mark, a five-minute period of mayhem began: Granada took the lead when Pau Cubarsí mishandled a fairly straightforward cross inside the box, and the ball fell to Myrto Uzuni, who gave Pellistri the easiest of tap-ins at the far post to put the away team ahead; Barça immediately responded, though, with a brilliant pass from Cancelo and an incredible assist by Ilkay Gündogan to find Lewandowski for the equalizer, but Granada took the lead again in ninety seconds later when Ignasi Miquel headed it home off the post.

After a chaotic sequence finally sparked the game, Barça had just twenty minutes remaining plus stoppage time to score two late goals and win. Raphinha replaced João Cancelo at left-back in Xavi Hernández’s daring move, and the Brazilian scored goals in just five minutes.

The equalizer comes out thanks to a cross by Raphinha. Yamal grabbed the ball from José Callejón at the edge of the box and scored a stunning goal from 25 yards to tie the score three times and give Barça a chance to win with ten minutes remaining.

In stoppage time, Guiu had a great opportunity to win the game with a header inside the six-yard box that went over the bar, but Xavi made one last attempt at it when Marc Guiu replaced Pedri.

The final whistle marked the end of a very disappointing and significant night for the Blaugrana’s title drive, as that proved to be the only opportunity Barça created in nearly nine minutes of added time.