Granada secured a big boost in their bid for La Liga safety on Tuesday night with a win over Athletic Club.
The Andalusians started the night just four points clear of the drop zone, sitting nervously after a season to forget following the departure of Diego Martinez over the summer.
But while others are still to play, they are now five points clear for the time being thanks to their win over an Athletic Club side with European ambitions.
Athletic Club are just one point behind Villarreal in the final European spot, but the Yellow Submarine will have the chance to extend that gap to four points when they face Rayo Vallecano on Thursday.
That’s thanks to Alex Collado‘s strike in the 35th minute, with the Barcelona loanee scoring what could be a hugely significant goal in the relegation battle.
While Luis Suarez thought he had managed a second in stoppage time to rubber-stamp the win after Mikel Vesga was sent off with five minutes remaining, picking up a second yellow card.
But the goal was ruled out for offside, reverting the scoreline to 1-0.
It was a frustrating night for Athletic Club, who only managed one shot on target all evening.
Marcelino‘s men will surely now fall short of the European spots, though, it is worth noting that Villarreal do have to play Real Sociedad and Barcelona in their final two games.
