GRANADA-MOLDE | Rooms in sight

One more step. The European idyll of Granada seems to have no limit. El Molde also bit the dust in Los Cármenes and the quarterfinals are there, very close. Jorge Molina and Soldado dressed up an unbeatable scoreboard to face the second leg in a week in Budapest.

The EuroGranada signed its umpteenth continental feat with the team in the box and a single player with a professional card on the bench, Vallejo. Still, with no room to maneuver during the match, Diego Martínez and his footballers offered their most solvent version and made the most of it to a stake that will fatten the list of feats that its continental premiere is leaving.

Jorge Molina was this time the player who claimed the headlines and the spotlights. Granada did not need Kenedy's genius or good collective action to hit first. A long shipment from Rui Silva and a blunder from Sinyan left the striker hand in hand with Linde. 1-0. Nazarí forward's eleventh official goal, third in the Europa League (he has four in the League and another four in the Cup). At almost 39 years old, he keeps his nose intact.

The one with the goal was the only offensive action by Granada in which Kenedy, an absolute rojiblanco benchmark, did not participate during the first half hour of the game. Later, With an advantage on the scoreboard, Granada tried to minimize risks and save efforts and Molde responded by taking two steps forward.

The final stretch of the first half was a warning for the rojiblancos, who pulled back from the dressing room enough to keep Molde as far away as possible from Rui Silva. Eikrem put the Portuguese to the test in a direct free kick and Puertas and Soldado caressed it 2-0.

The final push to Granada was given by the expulsion for a double yellow from Ellingsen. Soldier smelled the blood and on the third attempt and after a serve from Jorge Molina he put the tie very favorable for the Nasrid with a superb right hand to which Linde could not react. The Swede made up for part of his mistake with a great save to a Kenedy's header in the final minutes.

Granada masterfully handled the end of the game and did not give their rival a single option. The dream is still very much alive and the quarterfinals are already looming on the horizon.