Granada vs Barcelona preview

May 12, 2016
By: Nemanja Lazarevic

Granada vs BarcelonaHaving already secured La Liga survival, Granada will be looking to put a dent into Barcelona’s title hopes and basically hand the trophy to Real Madrid.

But, that is easier said than done considering that the Catalans will become champions if they make it five league wins in a row.

Granada have been flirting with relegation for quite a while now, but they somehow always find a way to avoid the drop, and the current season is no different.

Los Rojiblancos appeared to be in a very difficult position just few weeks ago, but they then enjoyed a tremendous finish to the campaign to secure La Liga survival ahead of the final game.

That is probably for the best as they are now set to face leaders Barcelona, who need a win to clinch the trophy, and it remains to be seen whether Granada can pull off one of the biggest shocks in the league’s recent history.

It has to be noted that los Rojiblancos have won three of last four games, hammering Sevilla on the road last time out, while chances are they will have been promised a reward by Real Madrid if they stop the Catalans from winning.

Coach Jose Gonzalez faces some selection problems, with Isaac Success, Diego Mainz and Dimitri Foulquier all sidelined through injury.

Cristiano Biraghi struggles with an ankle problem, but he could make the squad, just like Ruben Rochina, who was given permission to miss Wednesday’s training session.

Probable starting line-up (4-4-2): Fernandez – Lopes, Babin, Costa, Biraghi – Rochina, Doucoure, Perez, Cuenca – El Arabi, Penaranda.

At the start of April, it looked as though Barcelona would lift the league trophy without any problems, but they then suffered a major dip in form.

The Catalans made a real mess out of their league campaign, losing three successive fixtures in La Liga, and at the same time giving lifeline to both Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid.

They have since managed to stabilise their form, winning last four games in style, and they are widely expected to see off Granada as well.

Having won last four matches without conceding, Barcelona look a good bet to win to nil at odds of 2.00 (1/1) offered by Ladbrokes.

Jeremy Mathieu made a long-awaited comeback in the local derby against Espanyol, while Thomas Vermaelen has also been passed fit.

However, the likes of Claudio Bravo, Sandro Ramirez and Sergi Samper are not yet ready to return into action and they could miss the Copa del Rey final against Sevilla as well.

Probable starting line-up (4-3-3): ter Stegen – Alves, Pique, Mascherano, Alba – Rakitic, Busquets, Iniesta – Messi, Suarez, Neymar.

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