The champions required 3 points to reclaim top spot in LaLiga from Real Madrid however were principally dull by a disciplined defensive show in windy conditions in Catalonia.
Setien set his side up in a 3-4-3 variation similar to pep Guardiola’s recent formation however, despite enjoying on the point of eighty three per cent of the possession, clear-cut possibilities were exhausting to come by.
Barca got an advantage once German Sanchez was sent off and Messi eventually made the breakthrough with fourteen minutes of normal time left as the attack finally clicked into gear.
Setien’s much-discussed adherence to the Johan Cruyff school was clear in an exceedingly first half within which barcelona created over five hundred passes, however an endeavor from Messi that rippled the side-netting was the closest they came to a goal.
Messi saw a free-kick deflected over the crossbar before Granada gave Barca a true scare, Yan Eteki’s low strike beating Marc-Andre ter Stegen solely to bounce back off the inside of the post and away to safety.
Granada’s game set up was operating well till German was shown a second yellow card sixty nine minutes in for a trip on Messi, before Setien attained a cheer from the home fans by introducing Riqui Puig for Ivan Rakitic.
The 20-year-old created a telling impact, winning back possession on the sting of the box before Messi found Antoine Griezmann, he flicked the ball to Arturo Vidal and the Chilean’s backheel was swept home by the captain.
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