Aveek Chaudhuri, February 4, 2021

All hope seemed lost as Barcelona trailed 2-0 to Granada at the 87' minute of their Copa del Rey clash on Wednesday. And then Antoine Griezmann scores in the 88' minute. Maybe there's hope still although time is running out. But then Jordi Alba scores a spectacular header to level the score. Barcelona survived and in extra time, took control of the game with 3 more goals to finally win 5-3 against a resilient Granada team with both Griezmann and Jordi Alba netting another goal each while Frenkie De Jong also grabbed one. What a win it was as Barcelona showed the type of fire Ronald Koeman has been itching to see from the Blaugrana all season. Although it was only a Copa Del Rey match, this may be a turning point for Barca as they seem to have their motivation and drive back.

Jordi Alba, Antoine Griezmann and Frenkie De Jong all had amazing games as they spearheaded Barcelona's comeback. Their presences helped Barcelona mostly dominate the game with 79% of the possession throughout the entirety of the game. Barcelona's midfield and attack were simply sensational at creating chances for shots. They had a total of 36 shots attempted with an amazing 20 on target. Barca ruthlessly tested Granada's defense and keeper and as a result, got that sweet victory. Although Granada did convert 2 shots out of their total of 7, they simply couldn't handle Barca's firepower.

Ronald Koeman will be extremely pleased with this result as he finally saw a team with the drive and motivation to play until the very last minute. Barcelona have been one of the most inconsistent teams in Europe throughout the entire season but finally, they seem to be getting their pieces right and finding consistency. Barcelona has found good form in La Liga, currently going 10 matches unbeaten and above Real Madrid with goal difference in second place. They seem to be heading towards the right direction now and it remains to be seen whether they will continue to do so.