Madrid CFF took all three points against Granada in the opening round of the Primera División, winning 3-1 on Friday evening. The result sees the hosts move off the bottom of the table while Granada drop further back from fifth place. Two early goals put the home side in control before a late reply from the visitors offered a sliver of hope.
S. Ouzraoui opened the scoring in the twelfth minute, a moment that shifted the momentum immediately. K. Taylor doubled the advantage eleven minutes later, and by then the visitors were already scrambling to find their footing. Granada pulled one back through E. Guridi in stoppage time, but it was too little, too late.
There were plenty of changes made by both managers, with the hosts bringing on three players at the interval and Granada responding with a trio of their own. V. Molina, R. Carrasco, M. Kojima, E. Nautnes, W. Fon and E. Holt all came off the bench during the second half in search of something to change the complexion of the game.
The statistics tell a story of control. Madrid CFF held 54 per cent possession and landed six shots on target, compared to Granada's three from ten attempts. The visitors managed more attacks overall, 48 to 49, but their accuracy was just 33 per cent, and they struggled to find the net despite the effort.
At the other end, the hosts had more to offer, with six shots on target against three for Granada. The goalkeeper saves were evenly matched at two for Madrid CFF and three for Granada, suggesting the visitors made the most of their limited opportunities. Both sides received one yellow card each.
The result matters for where both teams stand. Madrid CFF sit tenth with 33 points from 30 games, while Granada are fifth with 45 points. The gap between them is now 12 points, and after a performance like this, the hosts will feel they have made a statement about where they want to go.