Exclusively bring to you by ASAA88

MATCH PREVIEW

Barcelona have the chance to go top of LaLiga on Thursday when they host Granada. That would finally confirm what many have suspected for a few weeks now, that Ronald Koeman’s side are very much the side to beat in this title race but they won’t necessarily have things all their own way against Diego Martinez’s men here.

The Catalan giants already have one leg of what would be a surprise domestic double in the bag having secured the Copa del Rey with a convincing win over Athletic. They’ve won both league games since then, seeing off Getafe 5-2 before a hard fought 2-1 win in a tough game away to Villarreal at the weekend.

They’ve won their last 5 matches at Camp Nou in all competitions since being held by Cadiz in February and will have their eyes firmly on the prize now in what is turning into an intriguing title race. A trip to Mestalla, where Valencia have been quite strong of late, awaits on Sunday so Koeman may opt to rotate in some areas although with no cup distractions, all his big hitters are likely to start.

As for Granada, they travel to the Catalan capital needing a shock win to push them back into European contention. They are only one place outside the European places but a 7 point deficit on Villarreal in 7th is still going to be very tough to make up at this advanced stage in the campaign.

Their recent league form has been inconsistent with four wins and four defeats from their last eight outings. They were competitive at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan at the weekend, but went down to a 2-1 defeat against Sevilla, having won their previous two matches against Real Valladolid and Eibar. A 63% loss ratio on their travels this season in LaLiga also won’t exactly breed confidence heading into this.

PREDICTION

Granada have had another terrific season but overall there is still quite a significant gulf in class between them and a Barcelona side that is playing well and gunning for the title. It’s hard to see any other outcome here except for a relatively comfortable home win, especially with the visitors having severe selection issues.

More than 2.5 goals would be predicted.

Disclaimer: For reference purpose only. All above views expressed are those of the author and do not represent the views of ASAA88.