In the 85th minute of the match, Jacobo finished a cross from Vilarrasa, and El Arcángel erupted. Despite being down to ten men, Córdoba put on a display of sheer belief to claim three points that keep them in the race for the promotion playoff. The madness reached such a peak that coach Ania sprinted onto the pitch to celebrate. For Granada, it was a hollow feeling, though they rarely threatened Iker Álvarez’s goal. In the end, the team that wanted it more won, and the white-and-green side confirmed their moment of “reillusion.”
Kevin was chased by Pablo Sáenz. (Photo: MADERO CUBERO)
Ania stuck with his winning formula from the five-match streak to maintain momentum and keep playoff hopes alive. Pacheta, already safe from relegation, gave minutes to second-team prospects like Zinebi and Flores.
The game began cautiously. But Córdoba soon found their rhythm. Carracedo hit the crossbar after a cross from Fuentes. During this phase, Ania’s team attacked effectively down the left flank. The tempo then dropped for a few minutes, which suited Granada.
Córdoba waited for a spark, which came with another ball off the woodwork. Vilarrasa, from a corner, struck the bar with a shot from the edge of the box. The hosts pushed again but without luck. Shortly after, Astralaga and some fortune denied Requena and Álex Martín from giving Ania’s side the lead. A goal seemed inevitable, but it didn’t arrive before the break.
Fuentes extends his arms, with Astralaga in the foreground. (Photo: MADERO CUBERO)
The second half started with Pablo Sáenz heading over for Granada. Arnáiz soon tried something similar with the same result. The biggest talking point for Córdoba was Alberto del Moral’s injury, forcing Ania to bring on Goti. More bad news followed as Fuentes also limped off, using a second substitution window. Percan came on to lead the attack. Pacheta refreshed his side with Lemos and Petit, then later with Sola and Izan.
As in the first half, the game needed a moment of inspiration. It came from Kevin Medina. But Lemos also got injured, so Óscar had to come on as an emergency. The full-back almost opened the scoring after a counterattack, but Iker Álvarez made a sensational save.
Ania closed his changes with a triple substitution: Jacobo, Dalisson, and Bri came on to break the deadlock. But that plan almost backfired when Percan was sent off for pulling Izan’s hair.
Despite the numerical advantage, Granada didn’t commit to going for the win. Córdoba, even a man down, kept pushing. And from a Vilarrasa delivery, Jacobo scored the 1-0 with a perfect left-footed finish. After that, there was a heated moment as Córdoba called for a red card for Williams after a challenge on Requena.
Córdoba vs Granada — Things still left to say
Ania: “No matter what happens, the feeling of that point out of 24 will remain.”
Muresan added six minutes of stoppage time. Tension filled the air, but Córdoba held on to their prize of reillusion, securing a sixth straight win and clinging to the last hopes of the playoff push.