Barcelona take on Granada on April 29 live in 170+ countries – Will the Blaugrana go top of the league?

April 29, 2021 By Ali M.

Topics: TV Schedules, Barcelona, Granada, La Liga

Victory over the Andalusian club would see the Catalan giants go top of the league. Here's a preview of Thursday's crucial game.

Barcelona vs Granada – preview

Barcelona take to the field on Thursday, facing Granada in a match that could have huge consequences in this season's title race. The Camp Nou will be the venue for this 1 p.m. ET clash with the Andalusian club as Koeman's men go in search of a crucial midweek victory.

The Blaugrana have enjoyed a huge transformation this year, with the Catalan giants going from a team in danger of going trophyless for a second consecutive season to a team en route to winning the league and cup double. Having lifted the Copa del Rey crown a while back, beating Athletic Club 4-0 in the final, Messi and Co. now have their eyes fully set on the Spanish top-flight title.

However, they must first win Thursday's game. Barcelona are third in the table, but they are level on points with second-placed Real Madrid, meaning a triumph would see them leapfrog their bitter rivals. Furthermore, with table-toppers Atletico boasting a mere two-point advantage over the Blaugrana, the Catalan giants could wrestle the lead away from Simeone's men should they overcome Granada.

Koeman's side have lost only once in 2021 and that was the 2-1 El Clasico defeat, winning 15 of their last 17 fixtures. They most recently beat Villarreal, with Antoine Griezmann's lovely brace sealing a comeback victory after Chukwueze handed the Yellow Submarine the lead.

Los Blancos have drawn twice in their last three league fixtures while Atletico have failed to win three out of their last five La Liga outings. This has all played into Barcelona's hand, handing them the opportunity to go top of the table should they win their game in hand.

Barcelona boast the best attack in the league, netting a whopping 76 times in 32 outings this season. This is made all the more better by the fact that Granada boast the worst defense in the league, conceding a whopping 53 times, with only Celta Vigo (51) and relegation-battling sides Huesca (50) and Elche (49) coming close.

The visitors recorded back-to-back wins over Real Valladolid and Eibar to get their campaign back on track, but they were handed another blow after losing 2-1 away to Sevilla. The Andalusian side are eighth in the table and are seven points adrift of a European spot, but with only one triumph in their last 10 away games, Diego Martinez's side will need a miraculous display to come away with all three points at the Camp Nou.

Team news

Barcelona: Coutinho, Fati, and Braithwaite remain Koeman's only absentees, meaning he could name an identical lineup to the one that beat Villarreal over the weekend. This is great news given that influential captain and talisman attacker Lionel Messi was on the receiving end of a horrible tackle at the Estadio de la Cerámica, one which resulted in a straight red for Manu Trigueros.

Granada: Antonio Puertas is suspended for this game, as is Angel Montoro. Rui Silva, German Sanchez, Jesus Vallejo and Carlos Neva have joined Domingos Duarte and Luis Milla on the sidelines, but Darwin Machis could return for this fixture.

Key stats

Barcelona have beaten Granada in 17 of their last 19 encounters.
The Blaugrana boast a 100 percent record at home against the Andalusian side, winning their 24 Camp Nou encounters.
The Catalan giants are looking to win their fifth consecutive home game in La Liga for the first time since last July.