Madrid : Youssef El-Arabi scored both goals as Granada beat Athletic Bilbao 2-0 on Monday for its first home win of the season in the Spanish league.
Athletic was unlucky not to be awarded a penalty in the 16th minute when Aritz Aduriz fell inside the penalty area after tangling with Jeison Murillo.
Athletic midfielder Ander Herrera was penalized when he brought down Yacine Brahimi with a dangerous high kick inside the area and El-Arabi converted in the 53rd.
“We can't look for excuses,” Herrera said. “If we want to be a team that is up there, we have to become a winning team.”
Granada went close to scoring again on the hour from a counterattack but Diego Buonanotte's shot was headed clear. El-Arabi headed in powerfully from the resulting corner in the 61st to increase the margin.
“This is for the fans,” Buonanotte said. “We hadn't been able to score at home and now we have by making a huge physical effort.”
El-Arabi missed completing a hat-trick in the 67th when Athletic goalkeeper Gorka Iraizoz deflected his shot.
Barcelona leads the standings on 21 points after seven rounds, marginally ahead of Atletico Madrid on goal differential. Real Madrid is on third place on 16 points. Athletic is fifth on 12, four points clear of 12th-place Granada.
