Sociedad Deportiva Eibar won 3-1 against 10-man Granada on Monday to make a promising start to the modest Basque club’s second season in La Liga.
The victory by a two-goal margin meant round one ended with Eibar as the unlikely leader at top of the standings on goal difference.
Midfielder Adrian Gonzalez opened the scoring in the 22nd minute at the Estadio Nuevo Los Carmenes from an Antonio Luna pass, and the left back broke free to easily assist Gonzalo Escalante in the 35th.
Photo: EPA
Granada pulled one back when substitute Isaac Success set up Ruben Rochina in the 50th, only for the hosts’ comeback to be derailed by Salva Ruiz’s direct red card for a studs-first challenge of Dani Garcia six minutes later.
Mikel Arruabarrena made sure coach Jose Mendilibar enjoyed a winning debut in his second stint with Eibar by scoring one minute after being introduced in the 66th.
“We played a great game and we are a united group, that was the foundation of this win,” Escalante said. “We struggled a bit after they scored, but luckily we were helped by the sending-off.”
Eibar also made a strong start last campaign, only to need what its fans must consider a miraculous turn of events to stay in the first division. Eibar were relegated on the final day of last season after finishing in the bottom three spots, but they were later reinstated as a topflight team after the league penalized Elche for breaking rules on debt limits by demoting them to the second division.
Granada’s loss was their first under manager Jose Sandoval, who earned a new contract this summer after agreeing to coach the team for the final four matches of last season.
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