Granada vs. Real Madrid: Date, Time, Live Stream, TV Info and Preview

Fresh off a big Clasico win against Barcelona last Saturday, Real Madrid will take on struggling Granada as they continue their ascent in the La Liga standings.

The hosts are winless in five, losing four of those before a draw against Eibar last week, and they face arguably the most in-form squad in all of football right now. As a result, few will like their chances on Saturday.

Los Blancos can't get too complacent, however. Titles are never won in matches against teams that are heavy underdogs, but they can certainly be lost in such fixtures.

Date: Saturday, November 1

Time: 3 p.m. GMT/11 a.m. ET

Venue: Estadio Nuevo Los Carmenes

TV info and live stream: The match will be broadcast via Sky Sports Red Button (for UK viewers) and on BeIN Sports USA (for US viewers), with mobile coverage available via the Sky Go app and BeIN Sports Connect.

Preview

Manu Fernandez/Associated Press

Los Blancos have won six straight in La Liga—Granada have lost four of their last five. The hosts have scored the second-least amount of goals so far, while the visitors are scoring goals from all angles, via WhoScored.com.

On paper at least, Saturday's fixture shouldn't even be a contest.

Football isn't played on paper, however, and Granada's Diego Mainz knows it. He told reporters he believes his squad have the ability to beat the mighty Real Madrid, as reported by Inside Spanish Football's Heath Chesters:

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Right now what we’re thinking, despite how difficult it will be, is getting the three points. We’ll be trying to make the most of every chance we get and we’ll be working really hard to win the game. Playing against a rival like this always makes for a great game, but I think we’ve just got to think about ourselves, because we have our own strength and virtues, which we must try to exploit as best we can.

"

Granada aren't a bad team, by any means, but the club is currently going through a bit of a slump. Offensively, the hosts have struggled for creativity, and they lack a clear scoring option to make the difference, as none of their players has more than one goal so far this season.

Defensively, El Grana are about middle of the pack, and that will be the unit the team will look to in their attempt to steal something from a surging Real squad.

That will be a lot easier said than done. Led by superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, Los Blancos appear to be scoring almost at will. The Portugal international has an incredible 16 goals in just nine matches, and in a poll conducted by Marca, Spanish readers have no doubt he'll win the Ballon d'Or again this year:

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If the opinions of the more than 64,000 people who took part in our recent poll are anything to go by, Cristiano Ronaldo is the overwhelming favourite to lift this year's Ballon d'Or.

We asked readers to name their top three picks for the Ballon d'Or and the results couldn't be clearer. The Portuguese superstar was voted for by 27.2% of respondents, putting him light years ahead of the other candidates for the award.

"

Spanish radio station Cadena Cope (h/t RMadridHome) know Gareth Bale and Fabio Coentrao won't be available for selection on Saturday, but their absence will hardly be felt:

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Gareth Bale & Fabio Coentrao will NOT be available for Real Madrid this Saturday against Granada. [COPE] pic.twitter.com/VW4Q3xH7Pf

— RMadridHome (@RMadridHome) October 30, 2014"

Carlo Ancelotti has a wealth of options to choose from for nearly every position, and James Rodriguez and Marcelo, the expected starters in place of the aforementioned duo, both showed their value during last week's Clasico.

Granada's saving grace may be Real's upcoming Champions League fixture against Liverpool, just three days after their La Liga meeting. Ancelotti could opt to rest some of his key performers, opening the door for the hosts to pull off an upset.

In order to get past Los Blancos, everything has to be clicking. Granada are a team in crisis, losing four of their last five, and that's not a recipe for success against what might be the best team in the world right now.

There are no formalities in football, but Saturday's fixture hardly looks like it will be a close affair.

Prediction: Granada 0-4 Real Madrid

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