A superb free-kick by Nolito was enough for Granada to claim a 1-0 win from their trip to Espanyol on Sunday.
The battle for possession and territorial advantage was fairly balanced, with Espanyol having the slightly better control of the ball, whilst Granada looked for more direct openings down the flanks.
With both teams well organized in defence, it looked like something special would be required to break the deadlock and that moment arrived eight minutes before the break.
Granada were awarded a free-kick 30 yards from goal after Gabriel Torje was fouled by Víctor Sánchez whilst trying to find his way through the Espanyol defense.
Up stepped Benfica loanee Nolito who curled the ball over the wall that grazed the underside of the crossbar before settling into the net for what proved to be the game winner.
"Nolito is a player who is always supportive and hard working. He's always worked, but up to now we've certainly not seen the best of him," said Granada coach Lucas Alcaraz.
"But today he has released himself and scored a superb goal. Hopefully this goal will serve to bring him confidence in the offensive area of his play."
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| Nolito celebrates with Granada teammates after scoring the winner against Espanyol Photo: MARCA |
The battle for possession and territorial advantage was fairly balanced, with Espanyol having the slightly better control of the ball, whilst Granada looked for more direct openings down the flanks.
With both teams well organized in defence, it looked like something special would be required to break the deadlock and that moment arrived eight minutes before the break.
Granada were awarded a free-kick 30 yards from goal after Gabriel Torje was fouled by Víctor Sánchez whilst trying to find his way through the Espanyol defense.
Up stepped Benfica loanee Nolito who curled the ball over the wall that grazed the underside of the crossbar before settling into the net for what proved to be the game winner.
"Nolito is a player who is always supportive and hard working. He's always worked, but up to now we've certainly not seen the best of him," said Granada coach Lucas Alcaraz.
"But today he has released himself and scored a superb goal. Hopefully this goal will serve to bring him confidence in the offensive area of his play."
