There was a great atmosphere in the stands on this warm evening, with many Malaguistas there supporting the lads. On the pitch, Guede’s starting line-up consisted of Manolo Reina; Juanfran, Bustinza, Juande, Javi Jiménez; Genaro, Ramón, Febas, Jozabed; Fran Sol and Rubén Castro.
Following the opening stages of back-and-forth play, MCF’s first arrival came in 12’. Juanfran crossed to Javi Jiménez whose shot sailed over the crossbar. In 15’, Fran Sol tried his luck from distance.
The first clear occasion, in the 20th minute, was a one-on-one between Arezo and Manolo Reina, who prevented a goal with a superb save. Five minutes later, Soro sent the ball to the left post of the Blue and White goal. In 27’ Rubén Castro’s powerful header missed the target.
Petrovic tried from a direct free kick in 32’, resulting in another good response from Reina in goal. Karanka’s men took the lead thanks to Antonio Puertas, who outwitted Manolo following a rapid counterattack (1-0, 38’). Before half-time, Febas with a shot that was cleared by the rival, searched for an equaliser.
Guede didn’t make any changes as play resumed. In 52’ Febas was shown the first yellow card of the match. At that moment, Rubén Castro could have gone level with a shot stopped in its tracks by the local keeper.
The first substitution by Guede arrived in 57’, with Álex Gallar making way for Ramón. Granada could have increased their lead in 65’ following a great display by Antonio Puertas. Then from a possible 2-0 lead came the draw. A combination between Álex Gallar and Fran Sol, who assisted the number ‘11’ from the left to slam the ball into the net (1-1, 70’).
The team’s improvement was more than evident in the second half. In the final stretch, homegrown players Moussa (80') and Haitam (88') replaced Juande and Febas, respectively. With the score all square at full-time, the winner of the XLIV Ciudad de Granada Cup would be decided on penalties.
Fortunately, Manolo Reina is a guarantee when it comes to saving penalties. The keeper from Villanueva del Trabuco saved two and Jozabed scored the definitive 2-3. The players dedicated the Cup won against one of the most powerful teams in Liga SmartBank to the Malaguista fans. Vamos Málaga!
Photo (image): Granada CF’s Communication Department
