Nancy Turner
Oct 09, 2023 - 01:35

Granada 2-2 Barcelona (Oct 8, 2023) Game Analysis: Sergi Roberto's Late Goal Secures Draw

Barcelona's late equalizer, Lamine Yamal's historic goal, and VAR controversy steal the show in a 2-2 draw against Granada.

Barcelona finds themselves in third place in the league standings, trailing Girona by just one point and leaders Real Madrid by three points. In their recent match against Granada, Barcelona's substitute Sergi Roberto played the role of hero as he scored a late equalizer to secure a 2-2 draw. However, the spotlight was on Lamine Yamal, who made history by becoming LaLiga's youngest goalscorer at the age of 16 years and 87 days. Yamal's goal just before halftime brought Barcelona back into the game after Granada's Bryan Zaragoza had scored twice in the first half, giving the hosts a two-goal advantage.

The match was not without its controversies, as VAR intervened to disallow Joao Felix's goal due to Ferran Torres being ruled offside on the cross into the area. Barcelona's draw leaves them in third place with 21 points, trailing Girona and Real Madrid by one and three points, respectively. Atletico Madrid sits in fourth place with 19 points and a game in hand.

Despite Barcelona's dominant performance, coach Xavi Hernandez expressed his disappointment, feeling that the team deserved more than just a point. Xavi highlighted the team's mistakes, particularly their poor start and conceding the second goal, which made the comeback more challenging. Barcelona's injury list also grew, with Jules Kounde and Robert Lewandowski joining the sidelined players. However, Xavi mentioned that both Yamal and Kounde seemed to be okay, but further assessments would be conducted in the coming days.

Ultimately, Barcelona's comeback in the second half, Yamal's historic achievement, and the VAR controversy were the key highlights of the Granada 2-2 Barcelona match. While Barcelona remains competitive in the league standings, they will need to address their mistakes and injury concerns if they hope to climb higher in the rankings.