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At the 88th minute, Barcelona looked dead and buried in their Copa del Rey quarter-final clash against Granada. Having gone 2-0 down early in the game, it looked like a tall order for Ronald Koeman’s side to engineer a comeback.
However, that is exactly what they did. Inspired by the playmaking magic of Lionel Messi and the scoring touch of Antoine Griezmann, Barcelona clawed their way back into the game.
Antoine Griezmann made it 2-1 with two minutes to go, before the Frenchman set up Jordi Alba deep into injury time to equalise to send the game into extra time.
Barcelona ended up winning the game 5-3, with Antoine Griezmann, Jordie Alba, and Frankie de Jong all getting on the scoresheet, as the Blaugrana advanced to the semi-final of the competition.
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Antoine Griezmann comes to the party
Antoine Griezmann was undoubtedly the star of the show, with the Frenchman finally getting some respite after a tough start to life at Barcelona.
The 29-year-old played a key role in Barcelona’s comeback victory in the Copa del Rey. He scored twice and set up two more goals as Koeman’s side came from behind to win the game.
His two goals against Granada saw him take his goal tally for the club to 27, making him the second-highest scoring Frenchman in Barcelona history. For a player who came in for lots of criticism when he first signed for the club, Antoine Griezmann's recent performances have been impressive.
Antoine Griezmann was involved in almost every attacking move that Barcelona orchestrated against Granada and was deservedly voted man of the match.
Barcelona’s show of character delights Koeman
Barcelona have started the year very well and have now won each of their last five games in all competitions. They may be far off in La Liga, but they have a realistic chance of winning the Copa del Rey.
"I'm very happy with the character we've shown," said Koeman after the win over Granada, as quoted by Marca. "It showed in the dressing room after the game, and it's a reflection of how well we're doing. We're on the path that everyone wants to be on."
"It was incredible, football is incredible. I think we did well. We had chances earlier, but the team put in a huge effort. Extra time was incredible. It showed the mentality of this team. Incredible."
What Barcelona have lacked this season is consistency but recent results have been impressive. Arguably, the character they showed in the comeback win against Granada is enough evidence that the team is still capable of pulling off the spectacular.
