Barcelona vs. Granada score: Messi and Barca blow chance to go top of La Liga with shocking loss
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Thursday was supposed to be the day. The opportunity was there for Barcelona to beat over-matched Granada and move into sole possession of first place in La Liga with just weeks to go in the season. Instead, Ronald Koeman’s team laid a massive egg, shockingly losing at the Camp Nou, 2-1. Granada had two chances in this game and scored both of them, grabbing both goals in the second half to come from behind.
Messi had scored the opener in the first half and nearly had a second before the break. Barca dominated the ball and the chances but struggled to get good looks late as Granada defended with 11 players to pull off the unforeseen victory. Barcelona had 16 total shots but put just four on frame, wasting their 82 percent possession.
Barca had been in sensational form entering this game, regularly scoring multiple goals in their matches to get back into the title fight. Across the 90 minutes, Messi was roughed up, Koeman got a red card and Barca were left dumbfounded at the end of the match with defensive lapses potentially costing them the title.
It was 39-year-old Jorge Molina who did Barca in with this fine header in the 79th minute:
Now, this wasn’t a knockout blow to Barca’s title hopes, but it leaves no room for error the rest of the way with Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid ahead of them.
Barca go to Valencia on Sunday before hosting Atletico Madrid on May 8.