Grenade presented its gray version. The rojiblanco team, in the last match of the preseason, convinced in a first act in which they played with fluidity and overwhelmed their rival, but was congested after the break and ended up losing on penalties. The side managed by Aitor Karanka ended regulation time with an ashy tie at one, but Málaga, their rivals for presentation, took the trophy from Granada City in an awkward penalty shootout. Doors, true to his nomination with the goal one more year, opened the scoring; Álex Gallar tied the contest. The Granada orchestra has yet to tune its instruments, but some interesting notes and a defined playing approach are glimpsed. The next meeting, in Ibiza, will not be so lenient before periods of lethargy.
The rojiblanco coach allowed the fans, with one hand on the forehead to fight against the sun in certain areas of the stadium, to begin to familiarize themselves with some of the faces who will defend their shield this season. Karanka has placed Raúl Fernández under the sticks in what could be a preview of the eleven that jumps to Ibiza, and yes to compete for the first points. Ricard Sánchez was posted in the right lane, Quini with his back to the left and both left-backs fit to play on the bench. Miguel Rubio and Ignasi Miquel dug in the center from the back, escorted by the Petrovic-Bodiger tandem, which already feeds its core and aims to be the starter at the start of the league. Callejón was waiting for his moment in the cabin; Puertas stayed on the right wing and Uzuni on the opposite side. With recently landed Melendoit was Soro who served as a hinge, close to a hungry Matías Arezo
The Uruguayan striker is determined to make it his season and expresses his desire to dazzle the public. There could have been someone who, checking his gestures, sometimes thought he was seeing ex-Nasrid Luis Suárez. It was he who was responsible for accelerating the first bars of a quiet encounter, the scenario of which placed the Nasrids in a leading role. The new Granada wants to have the ball and take advantage of every inch of the pitch with wide open sides, which penetrate like daggers. Quini advanced positions, between some inaccuracies from Petrovic and Bodiger, and snagged a cross that could not find a finisher. Later, it was Arezo who dropped to take advantage of the space generated on the wing and allow Uzuni, who had poor control in the box. Javi Jiménez showed up to join, but Pablo Guede’s side were absent or out of cover.
Ricard Sánchez slid to the bottom line and crossed, but Arezo could only caress the ball with his fringe. Uzuni, unaccompanied at the far post, missed the chance again. Fran Sol took a dead ball on the balcony from the box and he shot violently, attentive Raúl Fernández. The Uruguayan striker from Granada imitated him immediately after, with little goal.
The charrúa began to bring the duel into the personal realm, more insistent than ‘Coyote’ in his eagerness to hunt down the ‘Roadrunner’ in the popular animated series. Uzuni flew, in a well-coordinated pressure from the rojiblanco team, and screened for Arezo’s career. The Uruguayan found a little less than a sack in goal and a margin too wide to imagine the goal. Reina sensed her intentions and put a cap on it which repelled the shot. On serve, Ricard Sánchez was a rogue, who saw the Malagaguista keeper out of place and tried his luck from the same corner, but the keeper corrected in time.
Those from Karanka felt comfortable. They didn’t suffer much and didn’t need to push themselves too hard to cause problems, despite the fact that the game, still in pre-season, lacked pace. Petrovic turned well near the corner to deliver a tricky ball to Soro. The midfielder resisted Genaro’s onslaught and fired at the post. Juanfran later took advantage of an oversight by Uzuni to twist a shot to the far post, where Rubén Castro must have been blinded by the sun. The Serb, who also wants to be the protagonist of this course, was then encouraged to throw a long direct free kick, with a sharp impact, but Reina slapped the whip.
The hydration break threatened to kill what was left of the first half, but Arezo turned an indescribable throw-in, in his own half, into a clear scoring chance. Uruguayan offered to receive it and, even falling, managed to launch an unorthodox sendoff behind Uzuni’s back. Juande soon realized that the Albanian’s speed was much higher and tried to block his way, but the rojiblanco winger lifted the stickers in two strides. He tempered his nerves once he received the ball and held on to unload on the incorporation of Puertas, who, already in the vicinity of Reina, he lifted it delicately to carry away the chants from the stadium. The years pass and he continues to score goals as a rojiblanco.
The changes stunned those of Karanka around the locker room. Callejón made his Los Cármenes debut, was given a standing ovation and placed in midfield, but it was Uzuni who caused the “oops!” from the stands as he led a shipment of Puertas after the Almería man threw a hat to Javi Jiménez. Before, Rubén Castro allowed André Ferreira to greet his fans with an aesthetic but simple stop, even with the action invalidated for offside. Errors appeared more frequently and those of Pablo Guede took a small step forward, without malice. The Gates, a loose verse in the dueling trend, attempted to turn the tide. He picked up the ball and started to zigzag around the edge of the area; shorted Genaro’s musculoskeletal system and struck with the lefta little.
But the rebellion of the man from Almería did not generate enough power to restart the engine. Víctor Díaz, Jorge Molina and Rochina entered, praetorians of the old guard in this renewed team, and it was precisely a loss of the Valencian, complicated in their own field, which led to the draw. The ball fell on the newly incorporated Álex Gallar, in a frank position, and he complied with the execution.
The equality quenched the pulse of the duel. Bodiger tried to score from his own half and Jorge Molina later missed with a shot at the post. Football went home early and the game ended in a penalty shootout, which declared Málaga the winner after more failures than successes. Granada closes pre-season with pieces yet to be put together, perhaps lacking repetition with his new troops, but with a look that excites fans. It is progressing adequately, although the margin for testing ended this Saturday and there is still an agenda to assimilate. The next meeting, in Ibiza, already counts for the final evaluation.
Data sheet:
Granada CF: Raul Fernandez (André Ferreira, 45′); Ricard Sanchez (Jonathan Silva, 45′), Miguel Rubio (Miki Bosch, 45′), Ignatius Miquel, Quini; Petrovic, Bodiger; Antonio Doors, Soro (Alley, 45′), Myrto Uzuni; and Arezzo.
Málaga CF: Manolo Reina; Bustinza, Genaro, Juande (79′); Juanfran, Ramon (Alex Gallar, 56′), Jozabed, Phebas (Haitam, 88′), Javi Jimenez; Fran Sol and Rubén Castro.
Goals: 1-0: Puertas min. 38; 1-1: Alex Gallar, min. 69.
Penalty shot: 1-0: Bryan Zaragoza; 1-1: Ruben Castro; 1-1: Rochina fault; 1-2: Fran Sol; 2-2: Petrovic; 2-2: foul by Javi Jimenez; 2-2: Foul by Ignatius Michael; 2-2: Haitam Fault; 2-2: Lane fault; 2-3: Jozabed Mark.
Arbitrator: Alejandro Quintero Gonzlez. He booked visitors Febas and Jozabed, as well as local Bodiger.
Case : Match corresponding to the City of Granada Trophy, played in Nuevo Los Cármenes, in front of 8,269 spectators. Before the meeting, a minute of silence was observed in memory of the deceased subscribers, the father of the president of Granada, Sophia Yang, and the mother of the general manager of the Nasrid entity, Alfredo García Amado. At halftime of the match, the rojiblanco club offered, through Pepe Macanás, a gift to ex-Granadinista Nico Hidalgo.