Jose Ramon Sandoval hailed his Granada players for winning a “final” in Saturday’s 2-1 win at relegation rivals Levante.
A brace from teenager Adalberto Penaranda catapulted the Andalucians out of La Liga’s relegation zone and left the hosts rooted to the bottom, leaving the Coach confident his side can now concentrate on moving up the table.
“Beating opponents down [the table] too doesn’t just earn us three points, but it also boosts our head-to-head record, which always helps you stay up.
“[Saturday] was like a final for us and them too.
“It’s one of those days when a Coach can be pleased with the team’s effort.
“We reflected the things we’d worked on in training and won away against very tough opponents.
“The match blew wide open in the second half and could’ve been won by either side, but it fell to us and I’m very happy.
“[Penaranda] has been [in the first team] for a month and no-ones asked for his ID yet!
“At only 18, he’s knocked on the door and broke it down. He was our match-winner, but we must be patience with him.
“I congratulated him but added that in football, you could be good today and forgotten tomorrow.”
