The Blue and Whites faced the Red and Whites after 21 months. On that day in April 2019, these rivals locked horns on a rainy day in LaLiga SmartBank. Today, on this sunny Sunday morning, these teams faced each other in the third round of the Copa de SM el Rey.
There was a huge difference between the last match and this one, beyond the competition or the weather. It was the emptiness in the stands. This rivalry has attracted a great crowd over the years, which today was replaced by a strange silence, something that teams are still not used to. The players, as they prepared for the team photo, yearned for the fans’ support, who without doubt would have put on a great show today.
Both rivals attempted to feel at home on the pitch as soon as possible, but it was the visitors that took the lead. From the edge of the area, Fede Vico put the visitors 0-1 in front in 16’. The Red and Whites, with good luck on their side, surpassed goalkeeper Dani Barrio to open the scoring.
Orlando Sá tried to go level in 22’. The striker aimed to finish inside the area but didn’t manage to connect with the ball.
Six minutes later, GCF increased their lead. Jorge Molina outwitted the Blue and White defence to score the 0-2 (28’). The scoreboard remained the same at half-time.
In the second half, Pellicer’s men went out there with the intention of turning the match around. The defence reduced all the spaces to perfection and barely allowed the rival any approaches. In terms of attack, the Blue and Whites heightened their presence in the other half and made several dangerous arrivals in Granada’s area.
Yanis was the first to try his luck. The winger sent a cross from the left-wing that came up against former Malaguista keeper, Aarón Escandell and the crossbar (46’). Joaquín Muñoz and Caye, in 65’ and 70’ respectively, also tried to get a goal.
However, the Blue and Whites managed to narrow the gap. Caye Quintana, in 76’, scored the 1-2 with a shot from the heart of the area after a lateral free kick.
The goal boosted Pellicer’s team’s attack. MCF cornered one of the revelation teams in Spain, generating opportunity after opportunity, but didn’t manage another goal, so the 1-2 was the final result.
