(Jordi Blanco, correspondent in Barcelona) – The Barcelona of the miracle. The most difficult Barça still, of faith, drive and not giving up or against all logic, won their place in the semifinals of the Copa del Rey in Granada after equalizing a 2-0 against when the Granada was already celebrating its triumph and taking the victory (3-5) in a crazy overtime.
Seeing is believing, up to three balls hit the post, up to four exceptional saves by Aaron and two blunders, which worse, by Umtiti, had him condemned to failure when in the 88th minute Griezmann, almost without an angle, achieved 2-1 and in 92 Jordi Alba clinched the tie. Overtime, with Granada morally sunk, seemed to be ready for victory … There was still much to see.
Griezmann scored the 2-3 that seemed to sentence a surrendered rival … but almost then a struggle between Dest and Neva ended with the local player on the ground and the referee signaling a penalty, which Fede Vico transformed to restore equality .. And the nerves to those of Koeman, who at the beginning of the second half, through De Jong, achieved 3-4 to achieve a triumph as agonizing as it was incredible and who soon after sentenced an imperial volley from Jordi Alba.
UMTITI
Before many things happened. And if Barça had not won the name of Umtiti, responsible for the two goals for Granada, he would have been the undisputed star of the night.
Seeing is believing, a Barça that came out on the pitch revolutionized, that overwhelmed Granada, forcing them to defend in their area in any way, that had up to three clear chances and that based on intensity, combination, verticality and daring enjoyed on average excellent hour in which he only lacked the goal, he went to rest already behind on the scoreboard.
An absurd error by Umtiti on the baseline, wanting to combine short when he was pressured by two rivals, he left the ball to Soro, whose low center shot Kenedy at point-blank range, advancing on Sergi Roberto and destroying the surprised Ter Stegen to light a chime that absolutely no one could imagine.
Granada’s goal hurt the spirit of Barça. It baffled him in a bad way and all his good work of the first half disappeared. He decomposed badly and his diminio, which remained such, became bland, suffering after another failure, this time from Araújo, which fortunately for his interests did not end in a goal …
THE PUNCH
But the goal, the fatal punch, came just beginning the second half. Koeman’s team shot out ready to level the game on the fast track and just after two minutes, with 21 players in the Andalusian field of which only Umtiti and Soldado were in the central zone, a loss of the ball by Griezmann in front of the area local ended with a long ball from Montoro.
Long ball … And an immediate reaction from Soldier to run to the infuriating slowness of Umtiti, who when he started to run was already two meters behind the veteran Nasrid striker, who still beat him two meters before standing only against Ter Stegen and beat him in comfort.
48 minutes into the game and 2-0. The unthinkable was real. And from the shock Barça had already gone to despair. From there, the whole second half ahead, the challenge was already understood to be enormous for a team that was morally sunk and, clinging to Messi, had to look for the comeback in any way.
Two saves by Aaron Escandell, a shot to the crossbar by Trincao … A tragic want and not power in front of a Granada locked up, ordered and increasingly grown in its aspirations to take the big blow and get into the semifinals for the second consecutive season of the cup.
Koeman burned all his ships putting Dembélé, Braithwaite, Riqui Puig, Dest (this the first due to Sergi Roberto’s injury) … Going up with all the Barça, playing against the clock and his own impotence, lacking goal and confidence. Sunk more and more with each passing minute.
THE MIRACLE
But the unthinkable miracle arrived. Griezmann cut in the 88th minute finishing almost without an angle and surprising Aaron, who helped to strain the ball, and in the second minute of the extension a center from the Frenchman finished him point-blank Alba to conquer an equalizer in which hardly anyone but the players themselves trusted.
It could already be thought that the extension should be the confirmation of the comeback that this did not happen as it is because at 2-3 by Griezmann, superb header, Granada responded with a penalty (much discussed) so that the final decision was left in the second half extra time … Or in the penalty lottery.
But Barça was no longer for more scares and considered that it was time to end the madness. De Jong and Alba shaped the final 3-5. And it is over. Barça will play its tenth Copa del Rey semifinal in the last eleven seasons. After a crazy night, a superb comeback and proving the reason why he does not know the word surrender.