Getafe 1 - 2 Granada CF : Granada win boosts survival bid

Posted Monday, May 04, 2015 by PA

Youssef El Arabi scored twice as Granada won 2-1 at Getafe to boost their chances of beating the drop and give Jose Ramon Sandoval a winning start as boss.

Granada responded to Thursday's home defeat to Espanyol by replacing manager Abel Resino with Sandoval and the former Rayo Vallecano coach could not have asked for a better start.

El Arabi opened the scoring from the penalty spot after a quarter of an hour and headed home on the hour mark to earn Granada victory after Pedro Leon had equalised on the stroke of half-time.

Granada remain second from bottom but their first Primera Division win in nine attempts moved them on to 28 points, just three points behind 17th-placed Almeria in the last position of safety.

Defeat was 14th-placed Getafe's third in a row and, although they have a six-point cushion over the bottom three with just three games left, they are not yet mathematically safe.

Granada bossed the early proceedings and took the lead when they were awarded a penalty after Getafe defender Naldo handled in the the area.

El Arabi stepped up to take the spot-kick and dispatched the ball past Getafe goalkeeper Vicente Guaita to score only his second goal of the season and first goal in six games.

Roared on by the Estadio Coliseum Alfonso Pere crowd, Getafe drew level moments before half-time thanks to a fine strike from Leon.

The former Spain Under-21 striker controlled a neat cross-field ball on the edge of the area, cut back on to his left foot and unleashed a fierce low shot that beat Granada keeper Roberto at the near post.

Granada regrouped after conceding and were ahead once again on the hour mark when El Arabi cut across his marker to head a pinpoint Piti cross beyond Guaita and into the back of the net.

Getafe could not find an equaliser and the joy was etched across the faces of the Granada players when the final whistle sounded as victory did their chances of staying up the world of good.