Granada 2-0 Barcelona: 4 Talking Points | LaLiga 2019/2020

Barcelona suffered a shock 2-0 defeat at the Estadio Nuevo Los Cármenes, with goals from Ramon Azeez and Alvaro Vadillo giving Granada all three points in the LaLiga.

The Catalans had posted a convincing 5-2 victory over Valencia last time out and would have been looking to build on that result with and go top of the table.

That failed to happen though, with the result meaning that Barcelona have picked up just seven points from their opening five fixtures, which marks their worst start to a league season since 1994/1995.

In this piece, we shall be highlighting four talking points from the fixture.

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#4 Surprise, surprise, Granada go top of the table

Granada are currently top of LaLiga

A cursory glance at the summit of the LaLiga table might make one rub their eyes in disbelief as Granada are top of LaLiga at the moment.

In a league containing heavyweights like Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid, clubs in the ilk of Granda have no business being at the top end of the table, but the reality is that this is where the Andalusians currently are.

Granada had only returned to the Spanish top flight after two years away this season by finishing second in LaLiga 2 last term.

Given their low pedigree, one would have expected the club to sit back and try to play to avoid the drop. But five matches into the campaign, Diego Martinez is showing to have set his sights much higher.

The 38-year-old was appointed as Granada manager in the summer of 2018, and he helped the side gain promotion by playing slick counterattacking football, with emphasis placed on collective defending while also attacking en masse.

This tactic gained him promotion, and he has stuck with it despite playing amongst the big boys, reaping immense dividends along the way.

After kicking off the campaign with a 4-4 draw against Villareal in a fixture that was marked by erratic defending and too many open spaces, Martinez went back to the basics. However, he lost his next game by a narrow 1-0 margin to Sevilla in a game which they fashioned enough chances but were let down by composure in the final third.

Since then, Granada have played three matches, winning all three and more impressively securing clean sheets in all of them as well, with Lionel Messi and co being the latest to be shutout from their goal.

Though it might be early days to start tipping Granada for a fairytale run, regardless of what happens in the ensuing weeks, they have largely impressed to this point and are fully deserving of their spot atop the standings.

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#3 More away woes for Barcelona

Valverde cannot but an away victory

Barcelona are without Champions League glory since 2015, and a large reason for this has been down to their disastrous performances away from home.

Some of their away displays have been truly atrocious, and the consequent scorelines and fall-backs are well known, so it is futile repeating them here.

It is one thing to lose away from home to the PSG and Liverpool, but it is an entirely different and unacceptable proposition to not impose your will on smaller teams for a club the size of Barcelona.

The loss against Granada marked Barcelona's third away league fixture of the season, and they have failed to win any, while they also drew with Dortmund in the Champions League.

The Catalans are winless away from home for seven consecutive matches, and one would have to go all the way back to the end of April for Barcelona's last away win in a competitive fixture; a 2-0 defeat of Alaves at the Estadio Mendizorrozata.

Granada was the second newly promoted team in succession that Barcelona faced away in the league after Osasuna, and it is rather disappointing that the champions failed to win either, conceding four and scoring just two.

By contrast, if both fixtures had been played at Camp Nou, you can be sure that the two minnows would be on the receiving end of a major whooping, and this away setbacks must be eliminated pretty quickly before Barcelona's season descends into chaos.

#2 Griezmann puts up another disastrous showing

It was another poor showing from Griezmann

One of the more protracted transfers in recent memory was finally concluded over the summer, with Barcelona paying €120m for the services of Antoine Griezmann from Atletico Madrid.

However, over a full month into his Barcelona career, fans would be forgiven for asking if the 28-year-old was really worth the fuss.

The World Cup winner was below-par during pre-season. But given the friendly and relaxed natures of those games, not too much was read into it.

The opening day loss to Athletic Bilbao saw the French international make his official bow, but it was largely a day to forget for Griezmann.

He was the star of the show as Barcelona decimated Real Betis 5-2 at home, scoring a brace and registering an assist, and also put in a decent shift in another 5-2 victory over Valencia.

However, in between both matches, Griezmann had been a spectator as Barcelona drew 2-2 with Osasuna, and his no shows in the games against Dortmund and Granada reveals a worrying trend. The former Real Sociedad man is sticking to Barcelona's template of performing well at home and being poor away.

This is rather ironic, given that he was signed to bring solutions to areas where Barcelona faltered in.

The Catalans have a chequered history with big-money signings, with most of them struggling to meet up to expectations and if Griezmann is to avoid falling into this infamous category, he would have to up his game considerably.

#1 Lack of defensive solidity could cost Barcelona

Barcelona are yet to keep a clean sheet in LaLiga

Granada's two goals against Barcelona means that Ernersto Valverde's men have conceded nine from just five LaLiga matches.

In that time, they have allowed 48 shots at their goal which is simply unacceptable for a club of Barcelona's standing.

They have kept just one clean sheet this season which came in the Champions League and they largely had Ter Stegen to thank for that.

Barcelona's golden midfield of yesteryears are long gone, and though they still dominate possession (as their 74% against Granada showed), they lack the presence and control that Xavi and Iniesta in their prime offered, leading to increased pressure on their defence.

It is no hidden secret that Barcelona's backline cannot cope with sustained pressure. While this might not have been an issue in the past, it is currently the biggest conundrum facing Valverde and the 55-year-old must find a solution quickly.