Real Madrid suffered but beat Granada and they have won half the league. The Whites went from winning 0-2 in the 16th minute to finishing asking for the time against an Andalusian team that until the final whistle made things very difficult for the Whites. Madrid maintains a four point advantage over Barcelona with two games to end the season. If Madrid win Villarreal at Di Stéfano this Thursday, they will be champion.
(+) See the summary of the match
In Granada, Zidane bet on putting five midfielders with the idea of having the ball and thus not suffering. However, Granada was not for the task of making life easy for whites. The pressure of the locals prevented Madrid from getting the ball clearly from behind and that ruined all Zidane's plans.
Until Mendy decided to break the game on his own. An inmate of the French winger who looked like he was going to end in nothing for his long control in the area, ended with a great goal that entered the squad of a surprised Rui Silva. Neither he nor anyone else expected what Mendy was going to do, her great shot that entered the post that was defending the Granada goal.
Rui Silva's fault? Surely, but the truth is that he was as surprised as everyone in the field. That 0-1 gave Madrid peace of mind that at the first change, it was already on the scoreboard. Granada continued with their plan, but it fell apart in the 16th minute. A play that seemed dangerous was badly executed by the Andalusian team. Casemiro cut the ball, gave it to Modric, the latter to Isco, who attracted three rivals to return the ball to Modric, who saw Benzema enter alone from the left. French cut and goal. It was 0-2 for a Madrid that from there, with the score in favor, played very comfortable.
Diego Martínez, after the hydration pause changed the drawing of the Granada. He went from playing with three centrals and one point to the classic 4-4-2 to have more presence in the core. It went well and even Duarte was able to score, but he found Courtois. It was a mirage because Madrid returned to have control of the game that came to rest with that 0-2 on the scoreboard.
The second half began with Granada pressing against a calm Madrid, which controlled the game. Until Casemiro lost a ball in the center of the field, he favored the counter against Granada that Machís ended up turning 1-2 in the 50th minute.
A goal that ended Courtois' unbeatability, five games later. That much gave air to the Andalusian team that went for a Madrid that went from sending to suffering. Zidane entered Marco Asensio and Rodrygo looking to give air and speed to his team and recovering. The Frenchman, seeing that the five midfielders were no longer needed, retrieved the trident above. But neither for those Real Madrid managed to get away from the pressure of a grown Granada and convinced that the comeback was not a utopia.
And Granada had the tie in the 85th minute of the game, but first Courtois with a great save by Antoñín and then Sergio Ramos under sticks from Azeez's shot avoided the goal of the Andalusian team.
The last minutes were a torment for Real Madrid who were unable to have the ball to avoid suffering against a Granada that until the end sought a draw. He did not succeed and the whites won asking for the time, but they won
Granada, 1
Rui Silva (2); Foulquier (1) (Montoro (3), m.54), Víctor Díaz (1) (Puertas (3), m.46), Germán (3), Duarte (2), Dias (1); Azeez (2), Herrera (3) (Antoñín (2), m. 75), Vico (2) (Eteki (2), m. 75); Machís (3) (Koybasi (s.c.) (m. 84), Carlos Fernández (3).
Real Madrid, 2
Courtois (3); Carvajal (2), Varane (2), Ramos (3), Mendy (3); Casemiro (1), Valverde (2) (Marco Asensio (1), m.64), Kroos (2), Modric (3), Isco (2) (Rodrygo (1), m.64), Benzema (3) .
Goals: 0-1, Mendy (m.10); 0-2, Benzema (m.16); 1-2, Machís (m. 50)
Referee: Jaime Latre (C. Aragonés). Yellow to Mendy (m. 17), Duarte (m. 46), Gil Dias (m. 58), Courtois (m. 93)
Stadium: New Los Cármenes