Granada: Andrés; Miguel Lopes, Babín, Ricardo Costa, Biraghi; Doucouré, Fran Rico (Rubén Pérez 64‘); Isaac Success, Rochina (Isaac Cuenca 79‘), Peñaranda (Barral 68‘); El-Arabi. 4-2-3-1.
Sporting: Cuéllar; Vranjes (Ndi 85‘), Luis Hernández, Jorge Meré, Canella; Lora, Omar Macarell, Sergio Alvarez, Jony; Sanabria, Carlos Castro (Halilovic 67’). 4-4-2.
Goals:
1-0. 71. El-Arabi (penalty). After Omar Mascarell brought down Barral inside area.
2-0. 92. Success. Fired rebound past Cuéllar after first shot hit Luis Hernández.
Yellow cards: Jorge Meré 15’, Lora 23’, Ricardo Costa 32’, Omar Mascarell 44’, Miguel Lopes 47’, Peñaranda 66’, Sergio Alvarez 77’, 82’, Babín 85’, El-Arabi 87’, Rubén Pérez 91’, Isaac Success 93’ / red cards: Sergio Alvarez 82’.
Granada beat fellow strugglers Sporting Gijón 2-0 on Thursday evening to move two points above their opponents, José González’s side now level in the table with Rayo and Getafe. The Andalusians had the better of the first half, Cuéllar having to save from Miguel Lopes, Fran Rico and El-Arabi, and Ricardo Costa heading a free kick just wide. Early on in the second half Sanabria did get the ball in the net for the visitors after a long shot from Omar Mascarell came back off the bar and the post, but referee Estrada Fernández ruled it out for a questionable offside. And with twenty minutes to go there was another controversial decision when substitute Barral fell under a challenge from Mascarell, El-Arabi drilling home the resulting spot-kick. It was too much for coach Abelardo, who was sent to the stands for his protests, and he was followed down the tunnel a few minutes later by Sergio Alvarez after the midfielder picked up a second yellow card. The result was still in doubt however until the second minute of injury time, when Luis Hernández deflected an attempted pass by Isaac Success back into the path of the young forward for him to score the easiest of tap-ins.