La Liga: Rampant Real annihilate Granada

Assistant coach says second-half show ensured win in La Liga match.

MADRID: Real Madrid assistant coach Aitor Karanka admitted that a superior second-half show by his team against minnows Granada ensured an ultimately convincing 5-1 victory in the La Liga.

Real coach Jose Mourinho had promised before the match that there would be no repeat of the sloppy first-half performance in the King’s Cup against Malaga last week. However, it was still a laboured first 45 minutes with Real fortunate to go in 2-1 up at the break.

Aitor conceded that the third goal scored by Real after half time turned the match around.

“The third goal after the break was the key,” said Karanka. “We knew that Granada were going to be a difficult opponent as they showed in the first half but they are a team who are built to defend and so after we had scored the third - and with all the space at the Bernabeu - they had more problems.”

Granada coach Fabri Gonzalez felt that it was a lack of composure after the restart which proved crucial.

“It was all over after the third goal and then we made it worse by conceding the fourth but before that the game was quite competitive,” he said.

The game turned when Gonzalo Higuain and Karim Benzema scored in quick succession in the second half to finish off Granada’s hopes of a comeback.

Elsewhere, Levante drew 0-0 against Mallorca, while Osasuna were also locked in a stalemate with Real Sociedad.

Atletico Madrid showed also registered a goal-less draw against Malaga, while Racing Santander won 1-0 against Real Zaragoza.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 9^th, 2012.