Granada CF 3 - 2 Las Palmas: Comeback win lifts Granada out of relegation zone

Posted Sunday, May 01, 2016 by PA

Granada climbed out of the relegation zone with a spirited fightback to win 3-2 against Las Palmas in a hugely entertaining encounter at the Estadio Nuevo Los Carmenes.

Two goals from Jonathan Viera quickly put Las Palmas in control but Ruben Rochina and Youssef El-Arabi struck to bring the hosts back on level terms at the midway point of the first half.

Ricardo Costa's second-half header completed the turnaround, extending Granada's unbeaten home run to six matches and moving them above Sporting Gijon and Rayo Vallecano in the Primera Division standings.

Viera opened the scoring after three minutes with a lovely effort from outside the penalty area that found the top right-hand corner of the net.

Rochina replied with a free-kick which was just a little too high before Viera struck again from inside the box to double Las Palmas' lead in the 12th minute.

The frantic start continued as Rochina pulled a goal back straight away with a tidy left-foot finish after being set up by Adalberto Penaranda.

Back at the other end, Sergio Araujo almost restored the visitors' two-goal cushion but his close-range header hit the crossbar. It proved a costly miss as Granada equalised with their next attack when El-Arabi headed home after 22 minutes.

Las Palmas goalkeeper Raul Lizoain denied El-Arabi a second goal just before half-time while Andres Fernandez saved from Araujo early in the second half.

El-Arabi continued to be a nuisance and he saw a shot come back off a post in the 56th minute.

Costa nodded in from a Rochina corner after 71 minutes and Abdoulaye Doucoure went close to making it 4-2 late on but his shot went narrowly wide.