- Jesús Vallejo - 78'
- Antoine Griezmann - 12', 63'
- Lionel Messi - 35', 42'
Messi, Griezmann hit doubles in big Barcelona win at Granada
Lionel Messi and Antoine Griezmann each bagged two goals as Barcelona eased to a comfortable 4-0 victory at Granada on Saturday.
Griezmann ended his goal drought of nine matches in all competitions as Barca closed the gap on the Madrid clubs at the top of the table.
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Granada almost scored the opener inside the first two minutes but Marc-Andre ter Stegen produced a superb save from Antonio Puertas.
Barca took the lead after 12 minutes when Griezmann reacted quickest inside the box and finished into the bottom corner.
Griezmann then turned provider when he set up Messi who curled the ball into the top corner.
Messi scored his second just before half-time with a stunning free-kick. The Barca captain has now scored 10 goals or more in La Liga for the 15th consecutive campaign.
Griezmann grabbed his second of the match after 63 minutes with a half-volley from a tight angle.
Granada went down to 10 men after Jesus Vallejo was dismissed for a professional foul on Martin Braithwaite.
"Before I could barely score one goal but right now it looks like things are going pretty well," Griezmann said postmatch.
Ronald Koeman's side sit four points off league leaders Atletico Madrid after their match against Athletic Bilbao was postponed due to disruptions from a rare snowstorm.
"This is an important win, we knew we were in a difficult situation and couldn't afford to lose any more games and it's been a very good week for us, winning three games, all away from home, and while playing some very good football," Koeman said after the match.
"We showed that the team is growing in quality and in confidence. I'm very pleased that we scored four goals and we need to keep playing like we did today, when we only needed a few chances to score."
Game Information
Spanish LALIGA Standings
Team | GP | W | D | L | GD | P |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Barcelona | 13 | 11 | 0 | 2 | +28 | 33 |
Real Madrid | 12 | 8 | 3 | 1 | +14 | 27 |
Atlético Madrid | 13 | 7 | 5 | 1 | +12 | 26 |
Villarreal | 12 | 7 | 3 | 2 | +4 | 24 |
Osasuna | 13 | 6 | 3 | 4 | -3 | 21 |
Athletic Club | 13 | 5 | 5 | 3 | +6 | 20 |
Real Betis | 13 | 5 | 5 | 3 | +2 | 20 |
Real Sociedad | 13 | 5 | 3 | 5 | +1 | 18 |
Mallorca | 13 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 18 |
Girona | 13 | 5 | 3 | 5 | -1 | 18 |
Celta Vigo | 13 | 5 | 2 | 6 | -2 | 17 |
Rayo Vallecano | 12 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 16 |
Sevilla | 13 | 4 | 3 | 6 | -6 | 15 |
Leganés | 13 | 3 | 5 | 5 | -3 | 14 |
Alavés | 13 | 4 | 1 | 8 | -8 | 13 |
Las Palmas | 13 | 3 | 3 | 7 | -6 | 12 |
Getafe | 13 | 1 | 7 | 5 | -3 | 10 |
Espanyol | 12 | 3 | 1 | 8 | -11 | 10 |
Real Valladolid | 13 | 2 | 3 | 8 | -15 | 9 |
Valencia | 11 | 1 | 4 | 6 | -9 | 7 |