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Barcelona's title hope slims down after defeat at Granada !

Published

10 years ago

April 13, 2014

A disastrous week for Barcelona got worse on Saturday night with a 1-0 defeat at Granada that means the chances of retaining the La Liga title are no longer in their own hands. Questions must now be
asked about a season which is now in danger of collapsing within seven days.
If Barca fail to win the Copa del Rey final Wednesday against Real Madrid, they are likely to finish without a major title for the first season since 2007-08.
La Liga now looks a distant dream after the defeat in Granada that was almost identical to the Champions League tie lost by the same score at Atletico Madrid last Wednesday.
If the same Atletico side manage to win their next five games — starting Sunday away to Getafe — they will finish ahead of Barca regardless of what happens in the final game of the season between the
two in the Camp Nou. (Without even considering Real Madrid, who are likely to challenge their city rivals all the way to the finish line.)
For Barca to fail to score in two consecutive games something is seriously wrong, especially in a game they dominated from the moment the side struggling at the other end of La Liga grabbed an early goal through Yacine Brahimi.
Indeed, they faced an inspired Ornestis Karnezis in goal and it is difficult to decide which of his nine saves was his best; it could have been the Messi free kick he tipped away or the Sergio Busquets shot he blocked just after on 63 minutes, or even the curling shot from
Neymar in the first half.
It was only the second game in La Liga for the Greek international on loan at Granada from Udinese, but he made sure his name will be remembered by Barca fans for a long time to come. However, his performance does not excuse a poor Barca effort.
Gerardo Martino made changes to the side that lost at Atletico, resting Xavi Hernandez, Dani Alves, Jordi Alba and Marc Bartra (who pulled up in training on Friday) leaving Martino with no choice but to start with midfielders Javier Mascherano and Busquets in the centre of defence.
To reach this stage of the season without a recognised centre-half, after the earlier injury to Gerard Pique and the lack of fitness all season of Carles Puyol, can only be classed as a huge mistake by the Barca management team.
It has, of course, been flagged before, but the failure to buy a centre- half in the past three seasons is coming back to haunt Barca in the final run in.
The goal came from a mistake from Alex Song, who gave the ball away near the halfway line and allowed Granada to attack that central defence pairing. The Cameroonian did little to justify his inclusion in a midfield that lacked Xavi’s precise passing and
Busquet’s bite.
Similar to the game at Atletico on Wednesday, Barcelona were outfought by a physical and well organised Granada side who were not able to stop Barca creating chances, but reduced them to sending
in crosses from the flanks and kept a clean sheet.
Neymar was Barca’s best performer, but he was as frustrating as he was decisive, his drags and flicks in the first half were his side’s only real attacking threat as Messi started where he left off against Atletico with little involvement.
The Argentine improved in the second half as he dropped deeper to receive more of the ball, but he could not find a way past Granada’s Greek goalie.
In fact, if it were not for Jose Pinto in the Barca goal, Granada could have made it more embarrassing — the veteran reserve keeper made a great double save near the end to keep Barca in the contest.
The injury to Victor Valdes was a blow to Barca, but Pinto should not shoulder any of the blame for these two defeats. Yes, he is not as secure as Valdes, but he has not been the problem.
Instead it is the lack of quality cover in central defence and a sudden goal drought that has hit the side in the past two games. With the transfer ban hanging over the club, things could get worse before they get better.