Griezmann inspires Barca Cup comeback against Granada
MADRID: Antoine Griezmann led Barcelona back from the brink as the Catalans beat Granada 5-3 after extra-time to win a riveting Cup tie and reach the Spanish King’s Cup semi-finals.
Barcelona looked set to crash out at Los Carmenes when Granada led 2-0 with two minutes of normal time remaining but Griezmann scored one goal in the 88th minute and then set up Jordi Alba for a dramatic equaliser in the 92nd.
Griezmann headed his team in front in extratime only for Granada’s Fede Vico to make it 3-3 with a penalty.
Yet Frenkie de Jong’s finish and a thumping volley from Alba, also set up by Griezmann, sent a relieved Barcelona through.
“It was a brilliant, beautiful Cup tie,” said Griezmann.
Ronald Koeman admitted the King’s Cup is his team’s “shortest route” to a trophy this season and with Atletico Madrid 10 points clear in La Liga and Paris St Germain to come in the Champions League, it may prove their only route, too.
Granada, though, came within a whisker of another huge upset as goals from Robert Kenedy and Roberto Soldado put them in sight of the last four.
Instead, Koeman’s side rallied, with Lionel Messi the architect and Griezmann delivering surely his best performance since he joined Barcelona from Atletico 18 months ago.
It is the kind of performance that could prove a starting point for Koeman’s team.
“A match and a result like this will feed our spirit and our strength,” said Koeman. “These are moments that can be very important in a season.”
Griezmann now has six goals and seven assists in his last nine games.
“Now I need consistency,” said Griezmann. “I’ve felt good since January and I want to keep it going until the end of the season.
“I feel like I have the confidence of my coach and my teammates.”