Barcelona vs Granada

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Barcelona aims to secure their third consecutive victory in La Liga as they host Granada at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys on Sunday night.

Under Xavi's leadership, Barcelona currently holds the third spot in the La Liga standings, trailing the leaders Real Madrid by eight points. On the other hand, Granada finds themselves in the 19th position, battling relegation and sitting eight points away from safety in 17th place.

Despite the recent announcement of Xavi's departure as head coach at the end of the season, Barcelona has shown resilience, securing victories in their last two league matches against Osasuna and Alaves.

Despite facing challenges, Barcelona still eyes a successful season, highlighted by their upcoming Champions League clash against Napoli in the last-16 stage later this month. While a league title seems within reach, with Barcelona trailing the summit by eight points with 15 games remaining, they also trail second-placed Girona by just six points, setting up a crucial showdown in the top-flight fixture on Saturday evening.

Sitting five points ahead of fifth-placed Athletic Bilbao, Barcelona has displayed determination following their recent setback, a 5-3 home loss to Villarreal on January 27.

Although Barcelona has suffered three defeats at their temporary home this season, they face a Granada side struggling on the road, having earned just one point from their 11 away games.

While recent encounters between these two teams have ended in draws, Barcelona's last victory against Granada in La Liga dates back to January 2021.

Granada previously held Barcelona to a 2-2 draw earlier this season and managed a point in a 1-1 draw at Camp Nou in September 2021. Notably, Granada secured a memorable 2-1 victory over Barcelona at home in April 2021, indicating their ability to compete despite their current season struggles.

The campaign has indeed been challenging for Granada, who earned promotion to La Liga by winning the 2022-23 Segunda Division. Currently, Alexander Medina's team sits in 19th place with only 12 points from 23 league matches, trailing Mallorca by eight points in 17th place.

Although Granada salvaged a point at home against Las Palmas in their recent fixture, they have suffered three losses in their last four La Liga games, including a 2-0 defeat to Getafe in their most recent away match.

Barcelona are poised to receive a boost with the return of their primary goalkeeper, Marc-Andre ter Stegen, who is recovering from a recent back surgery. Ter Stegen is anticipated to reclaim his position in goal from Inaki Pena, while there's also optimism surrounding Raphinha's potential comeback following his recovery from a thigh injury.

Despite a recent scare during the match against Alaves, Ilkay Gundogan is expected to be fit for the upcoming fixture. However, Vitor Roque will be sidelined due to suspension following a red card in the previous game.

Barcelona continues to grapple with several injury concerns, with Ferran Torres, Joao Felix, Sergi Roberto, Alejandro Balde, Marcos Alonso, and Gavi unavailable for selection.

In midfield, Andreas Christensen is likely to retain his position, while Pedri is expected to operate further up the field.

On the other side, Granada faces their own challenges with six players unavailable. Lucas Boye, Victor Diaz, Jesus Vallejo, and Raul Fernandez are sidelined due to injuries, while Kamil Piatkowski and Gonzalo Villar are suspended, with Piatkowski receiving a red card in the last match and Villar reaching a milestone yellow card.

Oscar Melendo's early substitution in the previous game against Las Palmas was tactical rather than due to injury, ensuring his availability for the upcoming clash against Barcelona.

Currently, Granada finds themselves in the 19th position in the La Liga standings and has faced difficulties adjusting to the demands of the top-flight competition this season. In their recent match, they drew 1-1 against Las Palmas, highlighting the need for an improvement in their performance.

Contrarily, Barcelona holds the third spot in the league table and hasn't been consistently impressive in the past year. However, they managed a convincing 3-1 victory against Deportivo Alaves in their previous game and aim for a similar outcome in the upcoming match.

Barcelona boasts a strong track record against Granada, having won 13 out of the last 19 encounters between the two teams, while Granada secured only three victories. Although Barcelona enjoyed a streak of eight wins in nine matches against Granada in La Liga, they've failed to secure a victory in the last four encounters. Additionally, despite a flawless record of 24 consecutive home wins against Granada in La Liga, Barcelona faced two consecutive winless matches at home against them in recent times.

Barcelona has been on an impressive streak, winning five out of their last six La Liga matches, which equals their total number of victories in the 11 preceding games. On the other hand, Granada has struggled defensively, conceding 26 out of their 45 goals in La Liga during the first half of matches, marking the highest percentage among all teams this season.

While Barcelona has shown signs of improvement domestically, they still have ground to cover to catch up with Real Madrid and Girona in the league standings. Key players like Robert Lewandowski and Ilkay Gundogan have stepped up in recent weeks, and their contributions will be crucial in the upcoming match.

Despite Granada causing trouble for Barcelona in recent years, they will face a revitalized Barcelona side on Sunday. Barcelona appears to be the stronger team currently and is expected to emerge victorious in this encounter.