Koeman defends direct approach after Barca held by Granada

Araujo was booked after a skirmish with Granada’s defenders and then, with the adrenaline still pumping, he grabbed an equaliser for Barca, keeping the ball alive in the box and then dashing forward to meet Gavi’s chipped ball in.

We went with Pique, De Jong and Araujo and from one of those crosses we got the draw.” Koeman's position was already fragile after last week's 3-0 drubbing at home to Bayern Munich in the Champions League, a game in which his team failed to muster a single shot on target.

Araujo finally headed home in injury-time after Domingos Duarte had given Granada an early lead but the whistles at the end from the Barcelona fans indicated a point was not nearly enough.

Koeman brought Gerard Pique off the bench at Camp Nou to play up front alongside Luuk de Jong, with Ronald Araujo, another central defender, also thrown into the attack as Barca sent in 54 crosses in search of an equaliser.

Koeman insisted on Sunday he was “calm” and not fearing for his future as Barcelona coach but an already-strained relationship with club president Joan Laporta will be pushed to breaking point if results, and performances, do not improve.

We’re talking… I’m not going to say more because it seems I have to argue about everything." Depay hooked over from a de Jong ball in before Oscar Mingueza’s delivery grazed the top of the crossbar.

Sergio Escudero was quickest to his cleared corner and he beat Sergio Busquets twice, once to the ball and then again to the line where he fed Duarte, who nipped in front of Frenkie de Jong at the back post..

Read Full Story