PREVIEW | Barça v Granada
This Thursday, Barça receive a visit from Granada (7.00pm CEST). It's a key game which, if the Catalans win, they'll become outright LaLiga leaders with just a handful of games left until the end of the season. Barça also depend on themselves to be champions, and will leapfrog long-time leaders, Atlético Madrid, with a victory.
The opponent
Granada are having a great season having reached the quarterfinals of the Europa League and also the quarterfinals of the Copa del Rey (eliminated by Barça). They're currently eighth in the league with 42 points, in what has been a historic year for Diego Martínez's squad. A good result for the Andalusians on Thursday evening will see them approaching a finish in the European places.
Roberto Soldado, Kennedy, Luis Suárez and Darwin Machís are all players for Barça to keep an eye on, as well as Germán, Foulquier and Víctor Díaz. Domingos Duarte, Rui Silva and Luis Milla are out due to injury, whilst Puertas and Montoro haven't been selected.
Coach: Diego Martínez
League position: 8th (42 points)
League results: 12W-6L-14D
Top scorer in LaLiga: Soldado (9 goals):
Precedents
This will be the third game between Granada and Barça this year, and the first at the Camp Nou. In the previous two, the Catalans emerged triumphant, but with very different results. In the league match, Barça earned a resounding 0-4 win, thanks to a pair of braces from Griezmann and Messi.
As for the Copa del Rey quarterfinal, the match ended in a spectacular 3-5, with goals from Jordi Alba (2), Griezmann (2) and de Jong. That crazy game saw Barça end up winning in extra time, after grabbing a late leveller.
Did you know?
Barça have won 17 of their last 19 LaLiga games against Granada (L2) keeping 11 clean sheets during this period.
The Catalans have also won all 24 of their home LaLiga games against Granada, their best 100% win ratio against a specific opponent on home soil.
Granada have conceded in each of their 24 away LaLiga games against Barça (3.6 goals on average), failing to score in 15 of those matches, including the last six. Their last goal at Camp Nou in the competition came back in March 2012 (3-5).
Barça have lost only one of their last eight LaLiga games played on a Thursday (W4 D3), 1-2 vs Osasuna in July 2020, while Granada have won four of their last five games played on this day in the competition (L1).
Barça have won their last four home LaLiga games and they could win five in a row at Camp Nou for the first time since June 2020 (8).
Granada have won only one of their last 10 away Laliga games (D2 L7), 2-1 vs Real Valladolid, losing four of their last five away from home (W1).
Lionel Messi has been involved in 12 goals in six LaLiga appearances against Granada at Camp Nou (nine goals and three assists), including two hat tricks.
After winning his first game against Barça as a manager in all competitions, 2-0 in LaLiga in September 2019, Granada’s Diego Martínez has lost in his last three against them, two in LaLiga and one in the Copa del Rey.
View from the bench
'We have a good opportunity to become LaLiga leaders,' Ronald Koeman said in his pre-match press conference.
"The team with the strongest mentality will win LaLiga."