Granada vs Barcelona

Defending La Liga champions Barcelona take a trip to Estadio Nuevo Los Cármenes to encounter newly-promoted Granada.

Granada’s top-flight return has thus far been an unpleasant experience for the local fans, with last weekend’s incredible 3-3 draw at Almeria leaving Paco Lopez’s team stranded in the relegation zone with just one win from their opening eight league matches (D2, L5). But it’s worth noting Granda showed a tremendous fighting spirit in that game, hauling back a 3-0 halftime deficit to secure a point for the second time in a row after three consecutive defeats. The hosts have blown hot and cold in their backyard this season, with their four La Liga outings at Estadio Nuevo Los Cármenes alternating between different outcomes (W1, D1, L2). The only common denominator in that run is that Granada failed to keep a clean sheet in all four matches, worryingly conceding 2+ goals on three occasions.

Back-to-back Champions League group-stage eliminations have seemingly forced Barcelona to take their European commitments more seriously, with a 1-0 midweek win at Porto pushing them a step closer to qualifying for this year’s knockout stages. Despite being reduced to ten men, Xavi Hernandez’s side fended off the Portuguese giants to build on a 5-0 demolition of Antwerp on the opening day and preserve an unbeaten start to 2023/24 across all competitions (W8, D2). Barcelona only barely squeezed past Sevilla in the previous La Liga round, picking up a late 1-0 home win to stay within a one-point distance of early pacesetters Real Madrid. The Catalan heavyweights must approach this fixture with precaution after already dropping points twice on their four La Liga travels this season (W2, D2).