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Depleted Atletico get the job done in Granada

1 month ago  Raphael   Sport News

Relegation-threatened Granada proved difficult to break down, but Atletico Madrid eventually earned a 1-0 victory at the Estadio Nuevo Los Carmenes thanks to Antoine Griezmann's header six minutes from time.Fernando Torres, Kevin Gameiro and Gabi had added their names to the Atleti injury list with their various aches and pains to make this match more difficult than October's 7-1 walk in the park, but Diego Simeone's backups got the job done and add three points to their Champions League qualification push.The visitors did start intensely after enjoying a rare midweek off, forcing a corner after just 16 seconds.It may not have come to anything, but served as an early warning sign, as was Yannick Carrasco's fifth minute header, which dropped inches wide of the left post, Guillermo Ochoa breathing a sigh of relief as he stood motionless in the Granada goal. The Belgian did then ripple the net a few moments later, but the flag was up for offside and the Andalusians survived.Not only did they survive, but the home team then began to create some danger of their own and Jan Oblak had to be alert to catch an Adrian Ramos header and to tip away a Mubarak Wakaso free-kick. Back up the other end, Griezmann flicked on a header from a 42nd minute Rojiblanco free-kick, yet it dropped just as wide as Carrasco's earlier effort had done and it remained scoreless at the break.Los Colchoneros kicked off the second period just as brightly as they had the first, winning two corners in the first minute, before Griezmann was hauled down by Sverrir Ingi Ingason as he readied to shoot, yet only a yellow card was shown and a free-kick awarded.The Frenchman troubled the side netting in the 54th minute, evidence that Atletico's pressure was growing, but Granada again had chances too, with Oblak and Juanfran both making vital blocks. Ochoa was the far busier shot stopper, however, and his goal was threatened by Carrasco's low drive, a Koke volley and substitute Angel Correa's daisy cutter, yet the Mexican's clean sheet remained intact as the clock ticked down.The goalkeeper had to be incredibly alert in the 80th minute to parry a close-range Carrasco shot, but there was nothing he could do four minutes later when Griezmann broke the deadlock.Koke floated a ball over Granada's offside-trap-playing defensive line, but the No.7 timed his run well and then steered a diving header into the far corner for the victory, aided by Wakaso's late red.