Granada 0-4 Real Madrid: 5 Hits and Flops as Brahim Diaz shines for Los Blancos | La Liga 2023-24
Real Madrid beat Granada 4-0 in a La Liga match at the Estadio Nuevo Los Carmenes on Saturday, May 11.
Los Blancos opened the scoring with Fran Garcia tapping one into the back of the net following some tidy work in the box by Brahim Diaz and a dummy by Luka Modric. Garcia then turned provider as he cut one back for Arda Guler for Real Madrid's second of the night. The Turkish neatly tucked one in to beat Augusto Batalla.
Real Madrid continued the onslaught in the second half as Brahim Diaz scored soon after the restart. The Moroccan slotted one in after a brilliant run down the center. The 24-year-old capped off the evening soon after as he scored one again after receiving a cut back from Modric.
On that note, let's take a look at five hits and flops from the game:
(Note: Stats as per FotMob)
#5 Hit: Arda Guler (Real Madrid)
Arda Guler got another start in the league and scored yet again. The Turkish is proving to be quite an asset. Guler was a constant threat and linked up well with the fullbacks upfront along with Modric and Diaz who kept interchanging positions.
Guler is proving a case for himself and Rodrygo has a competition coming his way. He was very direct with his approach and effective on the ball. Guler's first impression was always progressive and was refreshing to watch.
#4 Flop: Carlos Neva (Granada)
Carlos Neva was up against Arda Guler on the flank. But his problems were not limited to the Turkish as Lucas Vazquez and Brahim Diaz took turns and overloaded the wing on multiple instances which was a little too much to take for Neva.
Neva found him puzzled when Real Madrid pinged passes quickly in the box and lost his marker on various occasions. The 27-year-old needed more support from his teammates to combat the challenges.
#3 Hit: Fran Garcia (Real Madrid)
Fran Garcia got the nod ahead of Ferland Mendy and capitalized on the chance. The Spaniard scored the opening goal and assisted the second to leave his mark on the game. His link-up play upfront with Diaz was highly effective.
Garcia was a constant threat moving forward and in the absence of Vinicius Jr. had more independence upfront. He created one chance, won two tackles, made three recoveries, and intercepted the ball once, and won three duels throughout the game.
#2 Flop: Bruno Mendez (Granada)
Bruno Mendez had a forgettable game against the champions. The Spanish giants were too quick in their transitions and Mendez had a hard time keeping track. The visitors exploited the compact back-line which left unexplored space on the left asking to be attacked.
Mendez was taken off for Ricard Sanchez in the 74th minute of the game. Granada's back-line in particular was a miss, but Mendez in particular should have done better with his positioning and awareness.
#1 Hit: Brahim Diaz (Real Madrid)
Brahim Diaz was the Player of the Match with a fantastic performance. The 24-year-old was threatening whenever he had the ball with him. He set up the first goal for Real Madrid with some neat work in the box and then went on to score a brace himself in the second half.
Diaz won eight duels, made two recoveries, and completed six dribbles throughout the game. The Moroccan international was everywhere up front and led the team's attack with absolute brilliance and utmost confidence.