Real Madrid 4-2 Granada: 5 Talking Points and Tactical Analysis | La Liga 2019/20

#2 Granada become the architects of their own downfall

Granada made a few elementary mistakes

Granada came into the encounter hot on the heels of Real Madrid and just a solitary point off the perch of the La Liga table. Thus, the game represented an enormous opportunity for the Andalusian club to lay down another marker and scale a seemingly insurmountable peak.

However, despite their heroics, the above didn’t transpire and on further introspection, the visitors only have themselves to blame.

In the opening period, the away side started a tad too slow and accorded Madrid too much respect, meaning that the former sacrificed its confident approach for something more circumspect. Consequently, the Los Blancos pinged passed all across the pitch and left Granada chasing shadows.

Moreover, the Andalusian club managed to hand the hosts a couple of goals on a platter, which wasn’t a very smart ploy.

The first goal saw Granada’s left-back hold a line much deeper than his teammates, in the process, allowing Benzema to steal a march on the centre back. Subsequently, the Frenchman found himself in acres of space to bury the opening.

On the stroke of half-time, the visitors’ off-side line again failed to function optimally, in addition to a few more errors.

Firstly, Valverde was allowed to stride forward easily and when the ball did fall to the Granada defenders, they only managed to clear it straight to the midfielder. The youngster lobbed the ball for Hazard, who finished with aplomb.

In the second period, the away side got a couple of goals back and threw a spanner in Madrid’s works. However, that merely proved a consolation in the end, courtesy their dire defensive display in the first half.

And, though Granada wouldn’t have envisioned a comfortable victory at the Bernabeu, they might just be left with a sinking feeling of what could’ve been, had they not gifted the Los Blancos the initiative.