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Diego Simeone is uncertain over Diego Costa's fitness for Atletico Madrid's UEFA Champions League quarter-final second leg with Barcelona.
Costa, who has scored 33 goals in all competitions this season, strained his hamstring in the 1-1 first-leg draw at Camp Nou last week, and missed Saturday's 1-0 win over Villarreal in La Liga.
Simeone is hopeful that the 25-year-old will be available for Wednesday's second leg, but revealed that there is a contingency plan in place if he does not make it.
"We will have a look at Diego Costa in training later," he said.
"If he doesn't make it, Adrian Lopez will play. If Adrian plays I'm sure he will play a great game for us.
"We have rotated some players in the last few games which is important to keep the team fresh.
"We are doing a great physical work and that allows us to be competitive at this phase of the season."
Meanwhile, club captain Gabi advised caution over Costa, with Atletico also challenging for the league title along with Barca and fierce rivals Real Madrid.
"Diego is an ambitious player and I'm convinced that in his head he's definitely playing," he said.
"But we have to be cautious, and that the decision of whether or not he plays tomorrow could be decisive for the rest of the season, so he has to be fit.
"He'll try his best to be, but he will be as he is. The boss will decide. He's vital like Leo Messi is for Barca, he's a decisive player for us.
"But if he can't play we will still give our all and it will be harder, but we will try and win."
Santi Cazorla claims Iker Casillas is a target for Arsenal and has urged his Spain team-mate to join the Premier League club.
Casillas has spent his entire career at the Bernabeu, but the 32-year-old has been linked with a move having not featured in La Liga at all this season after making only 19 appearances in the Spanish top flight in the 2012-13 campaign.
The Spain number one does feature for Real in cup competitions, but speculation over his future continues to surface and he recently admitted that he would not rule out a new challenge when his contract expires in 2017.
Cazorla claims Casillas has quizzed him about his time in England and the midfielder hopes to persuade the Real legend to move to London.
He told Sport360: "I've told him (I want him to join Arsenal), but so far he has just been curious about my experience in England.
"His situation is very complicated, but he has to make a decision.
"Lots of clubs want him, including Arsenal, but I think that it would be very difficult to leave Real Madrid because of what the club represents.
"He knows what he has (at Madrid) and what he could find at another club."
Real's Ronaldo doubtful for Cup final with muscle injury
MADRID Thu Apr 10, 2014 2:22pm BST
Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo eyes a ball during a training session in Dortmund April 7, 2014. REUTERS/Ina Fassbender
(Reuters) - Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo may miss Wednesday's King's Cup final against Barcelona after his club announced he had a muscle injury in his left thigh.
Real did not say how long the Portugal captain, who has also been suffering from a knee problem, would be sidelined but local media reported he would almost certainly not be available for the final at Valencia's Mestalla stadium, a repeat of the 2011 showpiece when Ronaldo scored in Real's 1-0 win.
"Medical tests performed on Cristiano Ronaldo have revealed an injury to the player's left biceps femoris muscle," Real said in a brief statement on their website.
Ronaldo was rested for Real's Champions League game at Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday, when the Spanish club lost 2-0 but went through to the semi-finals 3-2 on aggregate.
Spanish media reported he had picked up the thigh strain in a training session the previous day, with sports daily As saying he would be out for two weeks.
The two-legged Champions League semi-finals are on April 22/23 and April 29/30. Real are third in La Liga, three points behind leaders Atletico Madrid, and host Almeria on Saturday.
(Reporting by Iain Rogers, eEditing by Pritha Sarkar)
Barcelona's Lionel Messi reacts during his team's match against Atletico Madrid in their Champions League quarter-final second leg soccer match in Madrid, April 9, 2014. REUTERS-Juan Medina
(Reuters) - Barcelona's Champions League reverse at the hands of Spanish rivals Atletico Madrid on Wednesday is a heavy blow but they can still rescue their season by winning La Liga and the King's Cup.
Barca retain a realistic chance of avenging the 2-1 aggregate defeat to Atletico in their Champions League quarter-final by overhauling the league leaders and claiming a fifth domestic title in six years.
Atletico have a one-point lead over second-placed Barca with six games left and the Catalan giants host their rivals from the capital in the final game of the campaign next month.
Barca can also exact revenge for their 2011 King's Cup final defeat to Real Madrid when they play their arch rivals in the showpiece match of the latest edition at the same Mestalla stadium in Valencia next Wednesday.
Together with the season-opening Spanish Super Cup, which Barca won in August by defeating Atletico over two legs, the two trophies would not be a bad haul for Barca coach Gerardo Martino in his first season in charge at the Nou Camp.
That said, Martino can expect some sharp criticism after his team were undone over two legs by an Atletico side few expected would be challenging Europe's wealthy elite at this stage of the Champions League campaign.
There have already been suggestions he should have made changes earlier in last week's first leg in Barcelona when the home side were dominating and the Atletico players were running out of steam.
His decision to withdraw playmaker Andres Iniesta in the 72nd minute of Wednesday's second leg and replace him with Pedro was questioned by the player himself in a post-match television interview.
Iniesta is exactly the kind of player who can unlock a tiring defence with a killer pass and it was his brilliant assist that released Neymar to score in the 1-1 draw in the first leg.
"I was surprised by the change but it's the coach's decision," the Spain international told Canal Plus.
Martino now needs to lift his troops for Saturday's La Liga game at Granada and make sure they are ready for the Cup final four days later.
"The team right now is in bad shape," he told a news conference after the defeat at the Calderon.
"But we are still alive in the league and the Cup," added the Argentine.
"The most important thing is to keep competing. We have a decisive game in Granada and next Wednesday a great final."
Like arch rivals Real Madrid, Barca expect to win every competition they contest and their failure to reach the Champions League semi-finals for a record-extending seventh consecutive season was always going to set alarm bells ringing.
If they also fail in both La Liga and the King's Cup and end the season without major silverware, Martino's days in the high-pressure world of Spanish football may be numbered.
Real Madrid have been handed a timely boost with Marcelo's return to training following a hamstring injury.
The Brazil international has not featured for Real since a 2-1 defeat at Sevilla on March 26, though he was an unused substitute in the 5-0 demolition of Rayo Vallecano three days later before suffering a tear in his hamstring.
Marcelo's injury had left Carlo Ancelotti sweating on the fitness of the left-back ahead of next Wednesday's Copa del Rey final with fierce rivals Barcelona.
But it appears Real may receive positive news in that regard, with Marcelo joining the rest of the squad in training ahead of Saturday's La Liga showdown with strugglers Almeria at the Bernabeu.
With Portugal superstar Cristiano Ronaldo set to miss the Copa final with a thigh problem, Marcelo's availability would at least provide some positive injury news for Ancelotti.
Marcelo has made 33 appearances for Real this season in all competitions.
Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo looks set to miss next week's Copa del Rey final against Barcelona due to a thigh injury.
The FIFA Ballon d'Or holder sat out last Saturday's 4-0 rout of Real Sociedad with a knee complaint, an injury that meant he could only be named among the substitutes in Tuesday's UEFA Champions League clash with Borussia Dortmund.
Real progressed to the semi-finals 3-2 on aggregate despite a 2-0 defeat in Germany in the absence of top scorer Ronaldo.
And the Portugal captain will now definitely miss Wednesday's Copa del Rey final with rivals Barcelona after Real confirmed on Thursday that he has sustained a thigh problem.
The club tweeted: "Ronaldo has a muscular injury in his left thigh. Awaiting developments."
Although Real have not put a timescale on Ronaldo's return, reports suggest he will be out for around 15 days, which means he is also likely to be sidelined for the first leg of Real's Champions League last-four tie, which will take place on April 22 or 23.
However, the 29-year-old should recover for the second leg and Real's La Liga title run-in.
Ronaldo has been instrumental to Real's success this season, topping the scoring charts in La Liga with 28 goals, while also equalling the record for the number of goals in a single Champions League campaign with 14.
Real currently trail Liga leaders and city rivals Atletico by three points with six games remaining, and will face Bayern Munich, Chelsea or Atletico in the Champions League semi-finals, with the draw for the last four set to take place on Friday.
Johan Cruyff has criticised the Barcelona board by claiming they control the team rather than coach Gerardo Martino.
The legendary Dutchman, who won the La Liga title as both a player and a coach at Camp Nou, spoke out after Barca were dumped out of the UEFA Champions League at the quarter-final stage by La Liga rivals Atletico Madrid.
Cruyff accused certain board members of selling players without previous coaches' agreement, and claimed the Catalan giants are in a worse state since the appointment of Josep Maria Bartomeu as president.
"I said a long time ago, whoever decides your team is the coach and for four years it's not been the coach of the club," he told Sport.
"What is happening is logical. The first thing done by this directive was to sell a player (Pep) Guardiola wanted. And from then on, who's the boss? The coach?
"(Sporting director) Andoni Zubizarreta sold (Dymtro) Chygrynskiy against the will of the coach. The first problems started with Guardiola.
"Martino is doing what he can but it's hard when you have to be in charge but not be in charge.
"It's not one detail, it's many details. It's the coach who makes players better so the coach has to decide things.
Real Madrid will have to do without Cristiano Ronaldo as they bid to remain in the Liga title hunt with victory over lowly Almeria.
The capital club - who sit third in the table, three points adrift of leaders and neighbours Atletico Madrid and two behind arch-rivals Barcelona - confirmed on Thursday that Ronaldo has suffered a thigh injury.
Although Real have put no timescale on their top scorer's return, reports suggest he will be sidelined for around two weeks - which would mean he will also miss next week's Copa del Rey final against Barca and the first leg of their UEFA Champions League semi-final.
Ronaldo, who has scored 45 goals in all competitions for Real this term, sat out both last weekend's 4-0 win over Real Sociedad and the Champions League last-eight second leg at Borussia Dortmund with a knee complaint.
A first-half brace from Marco Reus had Dortmund harbouring hopes of an improbable comeback following their 3-0 first-leg defeat in Spain, but Carlo Ancelotti's team held on to book a place in the last four alongside Atletico, Bayern Munich and Chelsea.
Following the game in Germany, Ancelotti indicated to Marca that Ronaldo would be ready to play against Almeria, but the FIFA Ballon d'Or holder's return has been delayed by another setback.
However, Real should still have far too much firepower for Francisco's 19th-placed side, who they beat 5-0 away back in November - with Ronaldo opening the scoring before being withdrawn due to a knock.
Nine unanswered goals against Rayo Vallecano and Sociedad have partially repaired the damage caused to Real's title charge by back-to-back defeats to Barca and Sevilla last month.
And like second-placed Barca - who visit Granada on Saturday - Ancelotti's men can apply pressure on pacesetters Atletico, as they play Getafe 24 hours after their rivals.
Such concerns are a world away from the issues Almeria face, although the battle to stay in La Liga is even more condensed that the scrap for title glory.
Basement boys Real Betis are somewhat cut adrift, eight points behind Francisco's team, but four points then cover 19th up to 15th.
The Almeria squad will doubtlessly pay close attention to Friday’s meeting between Osasuna and Real Valladolid, with those clubs sitting 16th and 17th respectively.
Next month's consecutive games against Betis and Granada are more likely to have a greater bearing on Almeria's fate than Saturday's daunting trip to the Bernabeu, where they were beaten 8-1 on their last Liga visit in May 2011.
The last of their three away league wins this term came at Betis in December, after which seven straight defeats on the road have followed.
Granada could face a Barcelona backlash on Saturday as the defending La Liga champions aim to recover from their UEFA Champions League exit.
Barca were eliminated from Europe's premier club competition by title rivals and league leaders Atletico Madrid on Wednesday, succumbing to a 2-1 aggregate defeat to Diego Simeone's men after losing the second leg 1-0.
That defeat ended the Catalan club's hopes of a quadruple, and Gerardo Martino's men will now need to refocus their efforts on retaining the league crown they won in dominant fashion last term.
Martino's men are one point behind Atletico and two ahead of fierce rivals Real Madrid with six games remaining in an enthralling title race that promises to go to the wire.
Any slip up could be extremely damaging to Barca's hopes of a 23rd Spanish title, especially with Atletico and Real facing strugglers Getafe and Almeria respectively.
But Barca should travel to Estadio Nuevo Los Carmenes as heavy favourites, after winning all five contests since Granada returned to the top flight in 2011-12 after a 35-year absence.
Barca cruised to a 4-0 victory in the reverse fixture at Camp Nou in November but Granada defender Dimitri Foulquier insists Lucas Alcaraz's men have nothing to fear.
"They're (Barcelona) a team with very good players, but they're still just men and we shouldn't fear anyone," Foulquier said.
"What they did yesterday (Wednesday in the Champions League), doesn't matter to us.
"All we're focused on is the match on Saturday and we'll have to give everything we've got, to get a draw or a win."
Granada head into the game on a dismal run of three straight defeats that has kept them firmly in the relegation picture.
Alcaraz's side are just three points above the relegation zone in 15th following a 4-1 humbling at the hands of Malaga, and could be dragged further into the mire if results go against them this weekend.
Moroccan forward Youssef El-Arabi has been one of the few bright spots for Granada, finding the net on 12 occasions in the league this season.
Granada - who approach the encounter without any injury worries - will hope that El-Arabi will be able to exploit a Barcelona defence that is minus goalkeeper Victor Valdes (knee) and centre-back Gerard Pique (hip) due to serious injuries, while Carles Puyol is still struggling with a knee problem.
And with next Wednesday's Copa del Rey final with Real on the horizon, it would come as no surprise if Martino opted to shuffle his pack ahead of that crucial third Clasico of the campaign.
Osasuna and Real Valladolid remain mired in La Liga's relegation fight after playing out a drab 0-0 draw in Pamplona on Friday.
In an encounter low on excitement and goalscoring chances, both sides demonstrated just why they occupy the lower reaches of the Spanish top flight in a disappointing contest at Estadio El Sadar.
The result leaves Valladolid only a point above the relegation zone in 17th, while Osasuna are two points further ahead in 16th.
Javi Gracia's hosts almost opened the scoring in the ninth minute, midfielder Cejudo striking the woodwork with a speculative effort from distance.
Striker Oriol Riera and Cejudo wasted further chances for Osasuna in the first half, before Valladolid midfielder Victor Perez crashed a shot against the post early in the second.
Cejudo was then denied by a wonderful save from Valladolid goalkeeper Jaime in the 50th minute.
But seven minutes from the end, Javi Guerra spurned the best opportunity of the game for the visitors as his effort across the face of goal was brilliantly kept out by Osasuna keeper Andres Fernandez, whose efforts ensured the match finished goalless.
Midfielder Tiago is eager to ensure Atletico Madrid are not brought back down to earth with a bump at Getafe on Sunday.
Diego Simeone's men, who hold a slender one-point advantage at the summit of La Liga, are riding the crest of a wave after defeating Barcelona - their nearest domestic rivals - in midweek to reach the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League.
Atletico can now look forward to a mouth-watering tie against Chelsea, managed by former Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho, in the last four of Europe's premier club competition.
Yet Tiago, who played for Chelsea under Mourinho during the 2004-05 season, insists there is no danger of he and his team-mates becoming sidetracked as they edge ever closer to a sensational double.
Atleti will be clear favourites this weekend against a Getafe side in the relegation zone and boasting just one win in 17 matches in 2014, particularly as November's reverse fixture at Vicente Calderon ended in a 7-0 victory for the Liga leaders.
However, Getafe have avoided defeat on the last five occasions they have welcomed their city rivals to Coliseum Alfonso Perez.
"We have a very difficult game on Sunday," warned Tiago on Friday.
"We are in a moment that the team cannot look at the other side. We look forward, we want to recover well (following Tuesday's victory over Barca) and be ready and prepared to arrive at Getafe and not think of anything more than the victory."
Atleti's second-leg triumph over Barca, sealed by Koke's early goal, was all the more impressive given that star striker Diego Costa was absent due to a hamstring injury.
Playmaker Arda Turan also missed out with a groin problem and it remains to be seen whether either player will be fit to return on Sunday as Atleti seek to win a seventh league game in succession.
Jorge Sammir and Sergio Escudero, who are each recovering from injuries, trained separately from Getafe's squad earlier this week, while Jaime Gavilan (hamstring) is likely to miss out.
And Getafe coach Cosmin Contra is in no doubt as to the size of the task facing his 18th-placed team.
"We're playing against the best team in Spain right now," said the Romanian.
"They're in good form, they will be euphoric and with huge confidence."
After belatedly claiming their first win of the year with a shock 3-1 victory at Valencia on March 30, Getafe suffered a painful 1-0 defeat against Elche last time out, courtesy of Richmond Boakye's late strike.
"The players are still a bit down with their morale, because we lost our last game against Elche in the last play of the game," added Contra.
"There's no time to cry about it, though, and now we have give everything we’ve got and have faith we can do this (avoid relegation).
"We have to give everything and be aggressive. That's the idea I’m trying to convey to the players."
Atletico Madrid can dismiss any pretender label when it comes to challenging for the Spanish league after eliminating Barcelona from the Champions League on Wednesday, a victory that should provide it with extra momentum as they fight for the domestic title.
Atletico leads Barcelona by a single point with six rounds to play, and reaching the semifinals of Europe's top competition for the first time since 1974 certainly fuels belief that coach Diego Simeone's team is for real.
Atletico has a short trip to crosstown club Getafe on Sunday, a day after Barcelona plays at Granada.
Real Madrid, meanwhile, welcomes 19th-place Almeria on Saturday sitting three points behind Atletico with Cristiano Ronaldo unlikely to be available.
Here are five things to know about the 33rd round of games:
ATLETICO'S SQUAD
Atletico Madrid has won six straight Liga games but its latest victory - and perhaps most important - against Barcelona in Europe showed it can rely on fringe players too.
Striker Diego Costa and playmaker Arda Turan both missed the 1-0 win against Barcelona to injury, but little-used Adrian Lopez stepped in for Costa and set up Koke's winner.
Adrian had been passed over for six straight games before replacing Costa in Saturday's 1-0 win over Villarreal, with the Spanish leaders showing they have a deep enough squad to challenge for the double.
"A lot of people have confidence in him," Simeone said of Adrian, who may be called upon again with Costa's status being uncertain.
RONALDO OUT
Real Madrid is likely to be without Cristiano Ronaldo for Saturday's match against Almeria after medical scans Thursday revealed the Portugal forward has a muscle injury in his already sore left leg.
Ronaldo, who has scored 45 goals in all competitions including a league-leading 28, is also a doubt for the Copa del Rey final against Barcelona on Wednesday.
Madrid defender Marcelo returned to training on Thursday after the Brazil international missed the Champions League quarterfinal against Borussia Dortmund plus last weekend's league win over Real Sociedad.
BARCELONA REBOUND
Barcelona will be looking to turn the page Saturday at Granada as it focuses on catching Atletico in the league after getting eliminated by the Madrid club in the Champions League.
"We need to forget about this and start anew," Barcelona defender Jordi Alba said.
Barcelona needs a good run of form as it hosts Atletico on the final match day at its Camp Nou Stadium, when a victory could allow it to retain its Spanish title - depending on results in the run-up to the league finale.
ATHLETIC ON COURSE
Fourth-place Athletic Bilbao hasn't shown any strain from the pressures that come with chasing a Champions League spot.
The Basque-only club has lost only one of its last eight league matches to hold a six-point lead over fifth-place Sevilla. Sevilla is three points ahead of Real Sociedad, which is at Celta Vigo on Saturday.
"To be virtually qualified for Europe is an is a spectacular achievement," midfielder Ander Iturraspe said. Bilbao is looking to move closer to at least clinching a Europa League spot with a victory over Malaga on Monday.
SEVILLE DERBY
Real Betis hosts Sevilla in what should be a passionate Seville derby as both clubs eye positioning for next season.
Betis is last and nine points from safety with games quickly running out, while Sevilla knows it must overhaul Athletic Bilbao to have any chance of qualifying for the Champions League.
Sevilla knocked Betis out of the Europa League on penalties last month.
"There is a desire to gain revenge in a sporting sense after they knocked us out of that tie," Betis forward Jorge Molina said.
Barcelona suffered a surprise La Liga defeat at the hands of Granada to hand the Madrid clubs the title initiative.
Yacine Brahimi netted the only goal for Granada in the 16th minute before Barca spurned a host of chances, with Neymar taking a prime place among the culprits.
It is the second time this week Gerardo Martino's team have fallen by a 1-0 margin, following their UEFA Champions League exit at the hands of leaders Atletico Madrid – who have the chance to pull four points clear of the defending champions when they host Malaga tomorrow night.
There were no such problems for Real Madrid, who are now a point better off than their fierce Catalan rivals courtesy of a comfortable 4-0 home win over second-bottom Almeria.
Again operating without injured talisman Cristiano Ronaldo due to a knee injury, Real threatened to break the deadlock long before a 28th-minute opener from the impressive Angel Di Maria.
Gareth Bale, Isco and substitute Alvaro Morata completed the scoring on a significant night for Carlo Ancelotti's team.
Celta Vigo twice came from behind at home, despite being reduced to 10 men early in the second half, to claim a valuable 2-2 draw against Real Sociedad, easing their relegation fears.
The visitors twice hit the front through Sergio Canales and Antoine Griezmann, the latter's strike coming soon after Nolito's 37th-minute penalty.
Celta defender Jon Aurtenetxe then received his marching orders three minutes into the second half to put the home side under serious pressure but Santiago Min earned a share of the spoils in the 82nd minute.
That result meant Villarreal moved above Sociedad into sixth with a dramatic late win over Levante, while Celta rose to 12th with 37 points - five spots and six points clear of the relegation zone.
A 0-0 draw appeared on the cards at Villarreal's Camp El Madrigal until Jeremy Perbet headed home Manuel Trigueros' free-kick for the hosts in the fifth minute of stoppage time.
La Liga Wrap: Atletico stay top, Sevilla compound Betis misery
13 April 2014
Atletico Madrid restored their three-point lead at La Liga's summit with a 2-0 win at Getafe, while Sevilla beat city rivals Real Betis.
Atletico reopened the three-point gap ahead of Real Madrid after their rivals beat Almeria 4-0 on Saturday, but an injury to Diego Costa initially overshadowed their away win.
The 25-year-old - who was returning from a hamstring strain – crashed into the post while scoring, appearing to take a heavy blow to his left leg, and he was subsequently carried off on a stretcher in clear discomfort.
Although Atletico later confirmed Costa only suffered a cut, it is still likely to be a concern for coach Diego Simeone at such a crucial time of the season.
The table-toppers clinched a UEFA Champions League semi-final place on Wednesday by defeating Barcelona and they prevented a European hangover when Diego Godin nodded them into a first-half lead.
Costa's goal came after he had already missed a penalty, with Angel Lafita's red card compounding a difficult day for Cosmin Contra's relegation-threatened Getafe.
In Andalusia, Sevilla made the short trip across town to beat bitter rivals Betis 2-0.
Unai Emery's men thumped Porto 4-1 in Europe's second-tier competition on Thursday and although they were full of confidence after booking a place in the semi-finals, they had to rely on luck on Sunday as they won a controversial penalty in the 27th minute.
Juan Carlos received a straight red card for hauling down Carlos Bacca in the penalty area, but replays showed the Spaniard won the ball fairly. Kevin Gameiro then coolly converted the spot-kick for Sevilla.
Betis coach Gabriel Calderon claimed he had "never seen this level of refereeing" after the match and his side were finally put out of their misery eight minutes from time as Gameiro netted his second.
The win leaves Sevilla three points behind the fourth-placed Athletic Bilbao – who play Malaga on Monday – and Betis stay rooted to the bottom, 10 points adrift of safety with five matches to play.
Valencia's slim chances of earning a UEFA Europa League spot for next season remain alive thanks to a 2-1 over Elche, leaving them seven points behind the seventh-placed Real Sociedad.
Coro netted in the 28th minute to cancel out Pablo Piatti's opening goal, but the hosts clinched the win thanks to Dani Parejo just after the hour-mark, despite Antonio Barragan receiving a second yellow card in stoppage time.
Damian Suarez missed a second-half penalty for the losers, who are just four points above the relegation zone.
The day's other match saw Espanyol salvage a point in a 2-2 draw against Rayo Vallecano. Defender Diego Colotto was Espanyol's hero, heading in a corner with just two minutes left.
Gerardo Martino acknowledged that Barcelona no longer have control over who will win La Liga after Saturday's defeat to Granada.
Yacine Brahimi struck 16 minutes in to condemn Barca to a fifth league defeat of the season and cap off a poor week for the Spanish champions.
Having crashed out of the UEFA Champions League to Atletico Madrid on Wednesday, Barca coach Martino pulled no punches in his assessment of their title chances.
"It's a game we should have won. The (team) rotations have not had anything to do with the result," he told the club's official website.
"We must not confuse sadness after losing with actually giving up (but) the league no longer depends on us."
Ahead of the Copa del Rey final against Real Madrid on Wednesday, Martino said his squad were determined not to let another trophy opportunity slip away.
"After the two defeats the squad feels that something important has got away," he added.
"But Wednesday's game is the final and we have to go out and win."
Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti believes more surprises like Barcelona's loss at Granada are to come late in the La Liga season.
The Italian's team thrashed Almeria 4-0 at home on Sunday, hours after Barca had been edged 1-0 at Granada.
Real (79 points) jumped above Barcelona (78) and into second, behind city rivals Atletico Madrid (79) on head-to-head record with Diego Simeone's men facing Getafe on Sunday.
Ancelotti was surprised by Barcelona's defeat but said there would be several more shocks to finish the campaign.
"Barca can still win La Liga because there are many surprises left. They will fight until the end. This won't affect their performance on Wednesday (in the Copa del Rey final)," he said.
"I'm surprised they lost because they have more quality than Granada. Now, all the teams are playing for something and it's dangerous."
Angel di Maria opened the scoring for Real on 28 minutes before Gareth Bale, Isco and Alvaro Morata added second-half goals.
Ancelotti was pleased with his side's display and refused to look too far ahead with five league games to play.
"We played a good game - good football. The goal was to win because there is very little left in the season," he said.
"We have to win and then do the math. It's a very, very dangerous league because every game is difficult.
"In our heads, we aren't thinking about how things will look for the final game.
"We have very important games ahead of us and we're not thinking about anything else."
Ancelotti is unsure if Cristiano Ronaldo will be fit for his side's Copa del Rey final clash against Barcelona on Wednesday after the Portuguese suffered a setback in his recovery from a hamstring injury.
Di Maria will have a big role to play if Ronaldo is unavailable and the attacker said he was ready to play out wide or through the middle.
"I feel very comfortable on both sides," the Argentine said.
"Today, I went up near the penalty area. I wanted to score, it's been a while since I last did and in the middle, I'm trying to help a little more on defence."
Barcelona defender Martin Montoya says the Spanish champions are "screwed up" mentally after losing 1-0 to Granada on Saturday.
The loss at Estadio Nuevo Los Carmenes compounded a miserable week for Barca, who were knocked out of the UEFA Champions League at the quarter-final stage by Atletico Madrid in midweek.
Gerardo Martino's side were missing several first-team players, with Gerard Pique, Marc Bartra, Victor Valdes and Carles Puyol all out, while Dani Alves, Xavi, Alexis Sanchez and Jordi Alba were all left on the bench.
Although the visitors dominated proceedings, Yacine Brahimi's 16th-minute strike was enough to earn Granada a huge boost to their survival chances, while providing a serious blow to Barca's title hopes - and Montoya acknowledged that he and his team-mates were hurting.
"Mentally we're pretty screwed up," he told the club's official website. "We could have won but we couldn't capitalise on our chances. We gave it our all but in the end it wasn't possible.
"We will fight for the league until the end, we still have games left and hopefully our rivals lose points.
"I ask the fans to support us on Wednesday (against Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey final. We want to dedicate a victory to them."
Midfielder Andres Iniesta echoed Montoya's disappointment and went on to suggest that they are currently taking backward steps.
"Sometimes it's hard to find an explanation, we did everything we could to score," he said.
"It's a step backward. We made a mistake in the play that led to their goal and that really hurt us.
"It hurts to take this backward step at this point in the league, when there's so little left for the year to be over."
Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone has played down the severity of an injury suffered by Diego Costa in the 2-0 win at Getafe on Sunday.
Costa was forced off on a stretcher in the closing stages of the match after he collided with a goalpost when scoring Atletico's second goal.
The Spain international's left leg crashed into the frame of the goal after he had tapped in Adrian Lopez's cross, with the incident leaving a large gash towards the top of his shin.
The 25-year-old's team-mates were visibly distressed as they motioned to the bench for the striker to be replaced, but Simeone confirmed that the forward has not done any serious damage.
Atletico revealed on their official Twitter account: "Luckily Diego Costa has only one injury (the wound) after hitting the post."
And Simeone added: "Diego is well and he is fine. One more cut won't do anything to this tiger."
Centre-back Diego Godin notched Atletico's opener in what turned out to be a routine victory, which sees them go three points ahead of Real Madrid once again at the top of La Liga.
Simeone was impressed with his side's professional display at the Coliseum Alfonso Perez, acknowledging that the league leaders have everything in their own hands with five games left.
He added: "I always said that (winning the title) depended on us and I still maintain that. This depends on the ambition, enthusiasm, effort, work-rate and especially the humility of the team.
"We did a great job (at Getafe). It was a tough game which took effort and ambition on the part of the players to acquire a result which is very important.
"This leaves us where we wanted to be with five games to go. We have five finals now and we have to play them as such.
"Now we focus on the match against Elche as that is the next game. There is no other thought than to prepare for that and rest."
Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone has no idea if on-loan goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois can play against parent club Chelsea.
Chelsea chief executive Ron Gourlay has said the 21-year-old Belgium international is free to play in the UEFA Champions League semi-final.
UEFA have also cleared Courtois to play in the tie but confusion remains over whether the shot-stopper – who is in his third straight season on loan at Atletico – will line-up for the Spanish club.
Courtois has played a huge part in helping Atletico reach the last four and to the top of the La Liga table.
"Nobody has told me anything about the Courtois situation," Simeone told a news conference on Saturday.
"I can't give my opinion."
Simeone's side are top of the La Liga table and could move three points clear with a win at Getafe on Sunday.
Striker Diego Costa, who has scored 25 league goals this season, could return from a hamstring injury, which kept him out of the Champions League second-leg win over Barcelona.
"He looked good in training. We’ll have a chat with him and decide," Simeone said.
Simeone has insisted throughout the campaign he has focused solely on one game at a time, and that was questioned by reporters due to the way he dealt with the Costa injury.
But the Argentine said Costa was unable to give '100 per cent' against Barca and left out for that reason.
"Four days of recovery is no small matter. I'm not sure if we'll rotate or not," Simeone said.
Puyol: I will not change my mind about Barcelona exit
By Stefan Coerts
Apr 14, 2014 1:17:00 PM
The defender has again made it clear he will leave the Blaugrana this summer and has dismissed recent criticism of Lionel Messi
Carles Puyol has not changed his mind about opting to leave Barcelona at the end of the season despite the club's transfer ban.
The veteran defender, 36, recently announced he will leave the Camp Nou this summer, but a number of reports suggested he could stay on for an additional season now that Barcelona will not be allowed to sign a replacement following Fifa's decision to hand the Catalans a transfer ban for the next two windows.
Nevertheless, Puyol feels he is no longer at the required level to help Barcelona and has stressed that staying put is not an option.
"I have not changed my mind about leaving at the end of the season," Puyol stated at a press conference.
"I would stay if I could help, but it is difficult to get back to my best. I could not accept another year like this one.
"I cannot say anything else about my future because I have not made a decision yet. We will see how the season ends."
The centre-back then went on to defend Lionel Messi against recent criticism as he feels there is no reason to doubt the Argentina international.
"If there's one player who should not be doubted, it's Messi. He has given us so much and we can never rule him out.
"He always gives his all. Sometimes things work out and sometimes they don't. We have gotten accustomed to his incredibly high level, so when he doesn't score people start questioning him.
"But we are all very grateful to him for what he has done for the team. We are a team and we cannot blame everything on one player."
