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Barcelona held by winless Granada at Camp Nou in Liga

Barcelona needed a 90th-minute equalizer by defender Ronald Araujo, sparking jeers by many in the crowd of nearly 27,000 on Monday.

Less than a week after a demoralizing loss to Bayern Munich in the Champions League, Barcelona faltered at Camp Nou again, being held by winless Granada 1-1 in the Spanish league.

Barcelona needed a 90th-minute equalizer by defender Ronald Araujo, sparking jeers by many in the crowd of nearly 27,000 on Monday.

The setback followed the 3-0 rout by Bayern in the team’s first defeat since losing Lionel Messi to Paris Saint-Germain, and added pressure on coach Ronald Koeman and club president Joan Laporta.

Granada came to Barcelona winless in four matches and coming off two consecutive losses, including at home against Real Betis in the Andalucia derby last week. It defeated Barcelona at Camp Nou the last time they met in April.

“It’s a shame,” Araujo said.

“If we had been able to score earlier we could have gotten the victory. After the early goal they sat back on defense and that made it difficult for us.”

The draw left Barcelona in seventh place, five points from leader Real Madrid with a game in hand.

Coached by former Spain manager Robert Moreno, Granada opened the scoring two minutes into the match with a header by Domingos Duarte off a set-piece.

Barcelona squandered two great chances to equalize before halftime Sergi Roberto hit the crossbar from inside the area and Araujo’s header was brilliantly saved by Granada goalkeeper Luis Maximiano.

Memphis Depay and Luuk de Jong also failed to capitalize on scoring chances in the second half, but Araujo finally broke through with a close-range header in the 90th.

“We know that Barca isn’t going through a good moment and it was important to try to take advantage of that early on,” Duarte said.

“Earning a point at Camp Nou is always good but we came close to getting the three points. In the end they had many chances too. It was a fair result.”

Koeman couldn’t count on several players because of injuries, including Jordi Alba and Pedri Gonzalez.

He added a few youngsters in the second half, including Riqui Puig and 17-year-old Gavi, who set up Araújo’s equalizer. Philippe Coutinho was one of the players replaced.

Veteran defender Gerard Pique played as a striker after coming into the game in the final minutes.

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GRANADA STUNS BARCELONA IN CAMP NOU AS LA LIGA REMAINS OPEN

Barcelona blew the chance of going top of the Spanish La Liga after they were stunned by Granada in a shock 2-1 defeat at the Camp Nou stadium.

The Catalans were looking to move past Atletico Madrid with a victory at home as Lionel Messi and Antoine Griezmann started up front in 3-5-2 formation, while the visitors were looking to climb to 8th on the La Liga table.

In the 23rd minute, Messi opened the scoring after linking up with Griezmann. The Frenchman timed his delayed return pass to Messi perfectly and the Argentine fired a low shot past Granada goalkeeper Aaron Escandell and into the far corner of the net.

It was Messi’s 26th goal of the season as he continued to inspire Barcelona. Moments later, Messi found himself one-on-one with Escandell but couldn’t convert his chance as the score remained 1-0 at half-time.

Granada, who had failed to manage even a draw in any of its previous 25 league visits to the Camp Nou, turned the game around in the second half to further change the outlook in the title race.

Darwin Machis equalised for Granada in the 63rd minute when he latched onto a deflected pass and slotted the ball past Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen.

Barcelona boss Ronald Koeman was then shown a red card in the aftermath of Granada’s equaliser as the hosts dropped to second on the table, a point behind leaders Atletico Madrid.

Barcelona’s night got worse when Granada completed an unexpected comeback 11 minutes from time when substitute Jorge Molina headed the ball into the net from close range.

The visitors scored with both their shots on target at the Nou Camp, and were looking to cause a huge upset.

Barcelona failed to capitalise on its dominance as the match finished 2-1 to Granada, a result that will undoubtedly be celebrated between the capital clubs Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid.

“We lost our focus in the second half and made errors at the back,” Barcelona coach Koeman said. “We need to accept the fact we’ve lost, that’s the reality of things. We had chances to win the game, but that’s that.”

“We’ve got five more games to go and each of the sides (in the title race) will have difficulties in the schedule. We now need to prepare ourselves for Sunday’s game (away to Valencia). We’re still in the mix and have a chance. We need to accept this, move on and prepare for the next one.”

“We tried but weren’t able to make many chances when they scored their goals. They closed shop well and we couldn’t create,” he added.

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EUROPA LEAGUE QUARTER FINAL DRAW: AJAX FACE ROMA, MANCHESTER UTD. GETS GRANADA

Manchester United will face Granada and Arsenal will take on Slavia Prague in the quarter-finals of the Europa League.

United narrowly saw off Italian giants AC Milan in the last-16 with a 2-1 aggregate win and were rewarded with a kind-looking draw against the Spanish side.

Arsenal, meanwhile, survived a scare to beat Olympiacos 3-2 on aggregate to book their place in the final eight, and their reward is a game against Leicester and Rangers conquerers Slavia.

The other two games are Ajax vs Roma and Dinamo Zagreb vs Villarreal.

Both English sides should feel relatively pleased with the draws they received.

And if they make it that far United and Arsenal could meet in the final after they were kept apart for the potential semi-finals, which were drawn at the same time

The winner of Granada vs United will take on the winner of Ajax against Roma.

And whoever comes out on top between Dinamo Zagreb and Villarreal will face the winner of Arsenal and Slavia Prague.

The quarter-final first legs will take place on April 8, with the return games a week later on April 15.

And the first leg of the semis are scheduled for April 29, with the return on May 6.

And the showpiece final to put in the diary will go ahead on May 26 at Poland’s Gdansk Stadium.

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COPA DEL REY: GRIEZMANN DOUBLE INSPIRES BARCA COME BACK VICTORY AGAINST GRANADA.

Antoine Griezmann led Barcelona back from the brink on Wednesday as the Catalans beat Granada 5-3 after extra-time to win a riveting cup tie and reach the Copa del Rey semi-finals.

Barca looked set to crash out at Los Carmenes when Granada led 2-0 with two minutes of normal time remaining but Griezmann scored one goal in the 88th minute and then set up Jordi Alba for a dramatic equaliser in the 92nd. Griezmann headed his team in front in extra-time only for Granada’s Fede Vico to make it 3-3 with a penalty.

Yet Frenkie de Jong’s finish and a thumping volley from Alba, also set up by Griezmann, sent a relieved Barcelona through.

“It was a brilliant, beautiful cup tie,” said Griezmann.

Ronald Koeman admitted the Copa del Rey is his team’s “shortest route” to a trophy this season and with Atletico Madrid 10 points clear in La Liga and Paris Saint-Germain to come in the Champions League, it may prove their only route too.

Granada, though, came within a whisker of another huge upset as goals from Robert Kenedy and Roberto Soldado put them in sight of the last four.

Instead, Koeman’s side rallied, with Lionel Messi the architect and Griezmann delivering surely his best performance since he joined Barcelona from Atletico 18 months ago.

It is the kind of performance that could prove a starting point for Koeman’s team.

A match and a result like this will feed our spirit and our strength,” said Koeman. “These are moments that can be very important in a season.”

Griezmann now has six goals and seven assists in his last nine games.

Now I need consistency,” said Griezmann. “I’ve felt good since January and I want to keep it going until the end of the season. I feel like I have the confidence of my coach and my teammates.”

Barca’s reward is a place in the semis and they will be heavy favourites after early exits for Atletico and Real Madrid.

They join Sevilla, who beat Almeria on Tuesday, and Levante, who also came through after extra-time for a surprise 1-0 win against Villarreal.

Real Betis or Athletic Bilbao play on Thursday for the last spot.

Samuel Umtiti was at fault for Granada’s opening two goals, first robbed by Alberto Soro, who fired a quick pass across for Kenedy to score, and then outrun by Soldado, who finished into the corner.

Sergi Roberto went off with what looked like a hamstring strain and Barca searched for a way back.

Francisco Trincao and Messi both hit the woodwork while Griezmann drew a smart save from goalkeeper Aaron Escandell with a bicycle kick.

Finally the pressure told in the 88th minute, Griezmann sliding onto Messi’s curled pass to the back post and catching it on the bounce, the ball cannoning off the goalkeeper and in.

Granada had four minutes of added time to survive and they held out for only two, a carbon-copy pass from Messi finding Griezmann in the same spot, this time the striker heading across for Alba to nod in.

Luis Suarez could still have won it for Granada in normal time but drove wide when sent clear and it looked like Barca had it wrapped up when Griezmann scored again in extra-time, heading in Alba’s cross from the left.

Granada struck back almost immediately, though, Sergino Dest knocking over Carlos Neva in the box and Fede Vico converting the penalty, only for Barcelona to find a fourth. Messi’s shot was parried out for De Jong to poach the rebound.

Granada were on the ropes and a fifth proved the knock-out blow. Griezmann swept a superb pass out to Alba, who nonchalantly volleyed in for perhaps the best goal of a thrilling night.

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LA LIGA: MARCO ASENSIO GUIDES REAL MADRID TO WIN OVER GRANADA.

Substitute Marco Asensio helped lead Real Madrid to a 2-0 win over Granada on Wednesday, keeping it level on points with Spanish league leader Atletico Madrid.

Two minutes of inspired attacking by Asensio culminated in his pass for Casemiro to head in the 57th-minute opener at Madrid’s Alfredo Di Stefano Stadium.

Karim Benzema scored Madrid’s second goal in the game’s final seconds with Granada caught off balance while searching for an equalizer.

Madrid’s fifth league victory in a row left it in second place behind Atletico on goal difference. The title chase is shaping up to be a contest between the two capital city rivals. They are both six points ahead of Real Sociedad and Villarreal. Fifth-place Barcelona is eight points back.

Atletico also has more games in hand to play than the pursuing pack. Atletico has played 13 games, Barcelona 14, Madrid and Villarreal 15, and Sociedad 16.

Asensio replaced forward Rodrygo Goes in the 38th when the 19-year-old Brazilian grabbed his right thigh and asked to be substituted.