Barcelona were held to a 3-3 draw by Granada in a thrilling encounter at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys, but the match was overshadowed by controversial refereeing decisions.
The Catalans twice came from behind to level the score, with teenage sensation Lamine Yamal scoring a brace. However, the visitors felt aggrieved by several decisions that went against them, including two potential red cards for Barcelona players and a penalty shout that was waved away.
In the first half, Pau Cubarsí and Pedri both escaped with yellow cards for reckless challenges that could have easily been deemed red-worthy. Granada also had a strong case for a penalty when Ronald Araujo appeared to handle the ball in the box, but the VAR did not intervene.
These decisions infuriated the Granada players and fans, and they continued to protest throughout the match. The referee, Miguel Ángel Ortiz Arias, was also jeered by the crowd whenever he made a decision in Barcelona’s favor.
The controversy surrounding the refereeing decisions took away some of the shine from what was an entertaining match. Barcelona showed great character to come back from behind twice, but they will be disappointed that they were not able to secure all three points.
Key incidents:
15′: Barcelona take the lead through Yamal.
30′: Granada equalize through Ricard Sánchez.
55′: Granada take the lead through Myrto Uzuni.
60′: Barcelona equalize through Lewandowski.
70′: Granada take the lead through Ignasi Miquel.
80′: Barcelona equalize through Yamal.
90’+5′: Ter Stegen makes a stunning save to deny Uzuni.
Man of the Match: Lamine Yamal (Barcelona)
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