Granada came from behind to beat Cordoba 3-1 in the Segunda División's third round at the Estadio Nuevo Arcángel on Sunday evening. The visitors, who had drawn their opening fixture, moved clear at the summit with a decisive away performance. Cordoba, who started the campaign with a victory over Gironda, saw their early advantage evaporate after half-time.
And here's the thing about this one — Cordoba struck first through Percan in the second minute, catching Granada off guard before they had settled into their shape. The home side pressed forward with confidence, creating three big chances of their own, but could not extend that lead. To be fair, Granada looked disorganised in those opening exchanges, allowing Cordoba to dictate possession at will.
By then, the match had shifted. Granada brought on C. Onouha, P. Aleman and S. Rodelas together in the sixty-third minute, and the change paid immediate dividends. Dembele found space in the box and converted in the sixty-fifth, leveling the score at one-all. The visitors played the second half a man up in spirit, and Cordoba's captain dragged his side through what became an increasingly tense period.
The home side had no answer to Granada's growing momentum. Pascual added a second away goal in the eighty-ninth minute before Marques sealed the win in stoppage time. Cordoba made four substitutions in quick succession, trying to find something, but the game was effectively over. The stadium fell silent as the visitors celebrated a result that put them seven points clear.
The statistics tell an interesting story. Cordoba held 58 per cent possession and created 1.39 expected goals, but their shot accuracy sat at just twenty per cent. Granada, with less than half the ball, managed 1.57 expected goals and hit the target five times from thirteen attempts. That price has gone for Cordoba — they had the chances but not the composure to finish them.
Granada sit top of the table with seven points from three games, having won twice and drawn once. Cordoba drop to eighteenth with just three points, their lone victory coming against Girona in the opening round. The gap at the top and the bottom of the table is already significant, and this result will not have improved the mood at the Nuevo Arcángel.