Sports writing, Sep 17 (EFE) .- Granada reached the third qualifying round for the Europa League group stage this Thursday by beating KF Teuta 0-4 in Durres (Albania), in the first match of the rojiblancos in European competition throughout their history.
The Spanish team was very serious and effective in the first stop of their continental journey and fulfilled the forecasts by clearly beating a team that was much lower than the one that did not serve at all to play at home.
Granada left the crash sentenced in the first hour thanks to goals from Roberto Soldado, Brazilian Robert Kenedy and Venezuelan Yangel Herrera, while the 'vinotinto' scored again at the beginning of a second half that with the duel already decided barely had history.
Coach Diego Martínez initially opted for a starting eleven with only three novelties compared to the one that LaLiga Santander started with a victory (2-0) last Saturday against Athletic Club: Víctor Díaz, Frenchman Maxime Gonalons and Kenedy, who became the protagonist of the clash with a goal and two assists.
The rojiblancos wanted to avoid any hint of doubt from the beginning, so they went into the game very focused and committed, which allowed them to go 0-2 in the first ten minutes.
After a warning from Víctor Díaz and another with the head of Soldado, the veteran attacker signed the 0-1 volley by taking advantage of a perfect assist from Kenedy in an elaborate attack play by the Andalusians.
In the 0-2 there was an exchange of roles and it was Kenedy who scored after stealing a ball at the start from behind Teuta, leaning on Soldado and overcoming local goal Stivi Frasheri in hand-to-hand.
The reaction of the Albanian team, as willful as it was limited, was nil against a Granada that almost at all times controlled the crash at will and was able to score again in a shot from Antonio Puertas before which Frasheri appeared.
Half an hour later, it was 0-3 from a set piece, one of the main rojiblancas weapons: Víctor Díaz sent the ball long on a free kick, Kenedy made a perfect control-pass with his chest and Yangel Herrera finished first to overcome the Albanian goal.
In the final stretch of the first half, Teuta was encouraged, which did not disturb Portuguese Rui Silva at any time but at least tried with a header from Blerim Krasniqi and Asion Daja.
The second half started like the first, with a visiting team very plugged in that only took a few seconds to score 0-4, done again by Yangel Hererra, this time with a header, taking advantage of the doubts of the weak local back after a ball long by Ángel Montoro.
Granada, with four goals ahead, took their foot off the accelerator and dedicated themselves to letting the minutes go by trying not to have any negative impact, such as injuries, against a Teuta who dared to go up with everything lost.
Ildi Gruda had the best chance of scoring for the Albanians, who never fired between the three sticks and who played outnumbered the final stretch of the match after being sent off with a double yellow card in the 80th minute Fajban Beqja.
The duel ended with a goal disallowed by Antonio Puertas for a foul on the local goalkeeper and with Granada also playing with ten players after Kenedi retired from the field after suffering muscle problems and his team had already made the three changes.
Granada will face next Thursday at Nuevo Los Cármenes in the next round, the penultimate one before the group stage of the Europa League and which will also be a single match, to the winner of the match between Georgian Lokomotiv Tiflis and Russian Dinamo Moscow which is also disputed today.
– Data sheet
0 – KF Teuta: Frasheri; Fajban Beqja, Hoxha, Arapi, Kouros; Aleksi, Avdyli (Hebaj, m.55); Lorenco Vila, Emiliano Vila, Daja (Gruda, m.46); and Krasniqi (Ledio Beqja, m.68).
4 – Granada CF: Rui Silva; Víctor Díaz, Domingos Duarte (Vallejo, m.46), Germán, Carlos Neva; Gonalons, Yangel Herrera, Montoro (Fede Vico, m.58); Antonio Puertas, Kenedy and Soldado (Jorge Molina, m.46).
Referee: Willy Delajod (France). He sent off local Fajban Beqja with a double yellow card (m.41 and m.80). He also admonished the locals Daja (m.28) and Krasniqi (m.64)
Goals: 0-1, (m.5): Soldier. 0-2, (m.10): Kenedy. 0-3, (m.31) Yangel Herrera. 0-4, (m.46) Yangel Herrera.
Incidents: Match corresponding to the second qualifying round for the Europa League group stage played at the Niko Dovana Stadium in Durres (Albania) behind closed doors. EFE