Champions Real Madrid send second string to batter relegated Granada
Real Madrid graciously decided not to receive the trophy with the home side’s status in the top flight coming to an end. And Carlo Ancelotti’s band of champions could only splutter into action against a side they hadn’t lost to on the road since 2013.
That meant Granada, despite being disheartened by Mallorca’s triumphant performance which confirmed their drop just hours earlier, initially contained Los Blancos’ much-changed side relatively comfortably in the early stages.
But on a day of contrasting emotions, the visitors predictably grew into the game, as they sought a 28th win of an incredible campaign.
Eventually, the inevitable happened, and after Arda Guler spurned a golden opportunity when he looked to find a teammate instead of going for goal, Fran Garcia eventually opened Real Madrid’s account for the day, smashing an effort past Augusto Batalla from close range.
The hosts' disastrous day would soon go from bad to worse too, when Guler made up for his earlier mistake by slotting in from Garcia’s cut-back on the brink of half-time.
And It took less than five second-half minutes for Real Madrid to extend their lead further, with Brahim Diaz superbly shifting the ball onto his right before side-footing an effort into the net past a helpless Batalla.
If Diaz’s opener was good then his second was even better, as he twisted and twirled through the Granada ranks, before playing a neat one-two with Luka Modric and smashing the ball into the net from 10 yards.
Ultimately, a dark day for Granada saw them offer zero response after going behind, allowing Real Madrid to secure a third consecutive away clean sheet with consummate ease, and build vital momentum ahead of their upcoming UEFA Champions League final.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Brahim Diaz (Real Madrid)
