Granada 2-2 FC Barcelona: Another epic fightback

On a weekend where Real Madrid and Girona had both won, it was more essential than ever for Barça to come home from Andalusia with three points as well. But it didn’t happen, and an event-filled encounter ended 2-2.

Granada, who had taken points off the Catalans in the previous three meetings as well, took a surprise early lead with the first move of the game and doubled up on the half hour. But Barça are the comeback kings, and very nearly did it again.

It started with a goal that has set an all-time record, and when Barça finally equalised there was still plenty of time to nick a winner. And it looked like they had done it.

But an offside call that will spark plenty of debates about the exact meaning of 'interfering with play' meant that Barça are coming home with one point that could and maybe should have been three.

Fans joining the game late were alarmed to find that Barça were already trailing. It had taken Granada just 17 seconds to score the fastest league goal that the Catalans have conceded this century. Bryan Zaragoza capitalised on Gavi’s error in midfield and made no mistake with the finish.

As Barça piled on the pressure, it looked unlikely that the Andalusian lead would hold, but just before the half hour, Zaragoza did it again, outwitting Jules Kounde and then firing past Ter Stegen for the second time of the evening.

With Robert Lewandowski the latest addition to Barça list of high-profile injuries, the last thing Barça needed was another. But Kounde would be leaving the field shortly after with a knee injury rather bizarrely sustained in an accidental clash with fellow player Gavi.

The two-goal lead truly raised the home team’s confidence, and Barça now looked in real trouble before a goal in first-half injury time threw them right back into contention. And this one was a goal for the record books.

In the midst of a goalmouth scramble, Joan Felix sent the ball into the path of an unmarked Lamine Yamal, and the latter was able to practically walk the ball over the line.

At the mere age of 16 years and 87 days, Yamal thus becomes not only Barça’s youngest ever Liga goalscorer  but the youngest goalscorer for anyone in the history of the competition.

Both through tiredness and through tactical choice, Granada spent the second half defending their lead, and did very well to keep the incessant blaugrana charge at bay. Then with just five minute they were beaten a second time in somewhat surreal circumstances.

With Granada more focused on a series of frankly comical attempts at play-acting than defending, in the midst of it all Sergi Roberto ended up pulling Barça back level.

Zaragoza could have completed a hat-trick and restored Granada’s lead but this time his shot struck the bar and instead it was Barça who completed yet another dramatic comeback at the other end.

Joao Cancelo whipped in the cross and his namesake and the head of his compatriot Felix met it at the far post.

But no. Ferran Torres had indeed been offside by the very narrowest of margins, but was clearly not intervening in any way in the move. Infuriatingly, the goal was disallowed.

It really was the most frustrating of ends to a game where Barça once again got themselves into an unnecessary pickle but did everything to right the wrongs and would be coming home with the three points had it not been for a somewhat controversial call right at the end.

With an international break to follow, there are now two weeks to dwell on this match. Next up it’s Athletic Club at the Estadi Olimpic on October 22.