Granada will look to end their five-match-long winless streak when they host second-placed Barcelona in La Liga on Sunday.
Barcelona are the only unbeaten team in the league, and they are all set to hit the road to square up against Granada who have been struggling in all aspects. The home team are in the relegation zone and will be eager to register their second win of the season by causing an upset against the Catalan giants.
Granada are 19th in the league with just five points out of their eight matches. They have been winless in their last five outings and have only won one out of their eight matches in the 2023/24 La Liga season.
The home team were involved in a high-scoring 3-3 draw against Almeria in their last outing. Luis Suarez scored a first-half hat-trick for Almeria and Granada were in all sorts of trouble. But, they managed to script an incredible comeback in the second half and earn a point from this fixture.
On the back of that hard-earned draw, they will look to put up an impressive show against Xavi’s men at home. The Catalan giants are currently second on the points table with 20 points in their eight outings. They are the only team in the league to have not lost a game.
They have won six of their fixtures and played out a draw twice. Xavi’s team are the highest-scoring team in the league with 19 goals to their name. They are heading into this fixture on the back of a hard-fought 1-0 win over FC Porto in the Champions League. And, will be confident of maintaining their unbeaten run. Meanwhile, The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the two teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.
Team News & Tactics
Granada
The home team will be without the services of on-loan Real Madrid centre-back Jesus Vallejo for this fixture. Apart from the Spaniard, everyone else is expected to be available for this outing against Barcelona.
⚽️❤️💥@ricardsanchez12
#𝙀𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙣𝙖𝙇𝙪𝙘𝙝𝙖 🇦🇹 pic.twitter.com/hHDEZTbinP— Granada CF ❤️⚪️ (@GranadaCF) October 7, 2023
Paco Lopez will go ahead with the 4-4-2 formation, where Andre Ferreira will be in goal. Ricard Sanchez and Carlos Neva will start out wide as the full-backs. In the heart of the defence, Ignasi Miquel will pair up with Raúl Torrente. The back four will have the huge task of stopping a star-studded Barcelona attack.
Jose Callejon and Bryan Zaragoza will feature on the flanks in the centre of the park. Sergio Ruiz and Gerard Gumbau will be in a more central role. They will have a lot of defensive duties for this fixture but will look to initiate counter-attacks. Up top, Lucas Boye will have the support of Myrto Uzuni as the duo will look to get past the Catalan giants’ defence.
Barcelona
Robert Lewandowski picked up an ankle injury in their last outing and he is expected to be out of this fixture. Apart from the Polish international, Raphinha, Frenkie de Jong and Pedri are also unavailable.
Jᴏᴀ̃ᴏ Fᴇ́ʟɪx 👊 pic.twitter.com/QnD9WINpGs
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) October 7, 2023
Xavi will go ahead with the 4-3-3 formation, where Marc-Andre ter Stegen will take charge in goal. Joao Cancelo and Alejandro Balde will continue as the full-backs. In the heart of the defence, Jules Kounde will start alongside Ronald Araujo, while Andreas Christensen will once again find himself on the bench.
With multiple midfielders out injured, 20-year-old Fermin Lopez could get an opportunity from the start in this fixture. He will have the support of Oriol Romeu and young sensation Gavi. The trio will try to control the tempo of this game and ensure Barcelona have the majority of the ball.
With Lewandowski out, Ferran Torres is expected to be the number nine and on the flanks. Finally, 16-year-old Lamine Yamal will take charge alongside Joao Felix.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): ter Stegen; Cancelo, Kounde, Araujo, Balde; Fermin, Romeu, Gavi; Yamal, Torres, Felix
Key Stats
- Barcelona have won 15 out of their last 20 matches against Granada who have only managed two wins.
- Barcelona are the only team unbeaten team in the league so far.
- Granada have been unbeaten in their last three matches against Xavi’s team. They have won one and drawn the other two games. It is their longest unbeaten run against Barcelona in the league.
- The Catalan giants have the best attack in the league with 19 goals scored in eight outings.
- Granada have been winless in their last five outings in La Liga.
Player to Watch
Ferran Torres
Torres will have all the limelight when Barcelona hit the road to square up against Granada because he is expected to fill the big boots of Lewandowski. The 23-year-old has not had the best of times since joining the Catalan giants. But he has got off to a great start in the 2023-24 season.
The Spanish international has featured in nine matches this season, and he has been on the pitch for 354 minutes while finding the back of the net on four occasions. He averages a goal in every 89th minute. As a result, the 23-year-old will be the player to watch out for.
Prediction
Granada 0-2 Barcelona
Granada have been struggling in the ongoing season. They have only won one match in the league so far and have been winless in their last five league outings. They might have made a second-half comeback in their last outing to get a draw but their struggle might continue against Barcelona.
The Catalan giants are the only unbeaten team in the league and they have been scoring goals for fun. While they will be without a few of their key players for this fixture. Xavi’s team still has enough quality in their ranks to get past Granada with ease. The Hard Tackle predicts an easy 2-0 win for the visitors.
