Granada vs. Real Madrid: Key Issues and Decisions That Will Shape La Liga Game
It's been a frantic end to October for Real Madrid with games coming thick and fast after the international break.
It's also been a successful time.
November promises more of the same, with a hectic fixture schedule broken up in the middle of the month by another round of internationals.
First up, on the very first day of the month, is Granada on Saturday.
And while Carlo Ancelotti has been watching win after win roll in, Joaquin Caparros' side have been on a dreadful run in recent weeks. That doesn't necessarily mean things will be cut and dry at Los Carmenes.
And to spice things up, newspaper Marca have riled up Caparros in the buildup to the match.
The Marca Cover Storm
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Madrid-based Marca's front cover on Friday morning led with a quote from the Granada boss Caparros.
"All I ask is that they take it easy on us," it said, implying that Caparros had given up on the game against Real Madrid before it had even started.
In his press conference previewing the match, though, he refuted he'd ever said those words.
He then went one step further and ripped up the newspaper, per @ideal_granada (in Spanish).
If there was a doubt over his intentions for the match, they've certainly been banished now, and Caparros has been provided with some extra motivation to topple Madrid.
"Así ha dejado @JoaquinCaparros la portada de @marca de hoy. El técnico ha empezado la RP muy cabreado pic.twitter.com/8I304oFFny
— Luis F. Ruiz (@luisruizmolina) October 31, 2014"
An 11th Straight Win?
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Real Madrid's 4-1 win over UE Cornella on Wednesday night was their 10th straight win in all competitions—their latest Decima.
It matches the longest winning streak they've had under Ancelotti.
A win at Granada on Saturday would therefore convert the current run into the Italian's best run of form since he’s been in charge of Los Blancos.
The players have shown no signs of relaxing, and you have to imagine they'll continue to be driven by extending this run.
Fifteen might be a number in the back of Ancelotti's mind; Carlos Forjanes of AS points out that's the record for consecutive victories at Madrid:
"Ancelotti is in a position to pursue the current club record of 15 straight wins, an achievement secured by two previous coaches: Miguel Munoz (1960-61) and Jose Mourinho (2011-12).
Munoz’s run was halted by Real Oviedo with a 0-0 at the Carlos Tartiere (19-3-1961) and Mou’s run ended with a home defeat (1-3) to Barça in the Clasico on December 9th, 2011.
"
Granada's Defence
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Nobody has been able to stop a rampant Real Madrid of late. Liverpool leaked three in the first half, and Barcelona were helpless as Los Blancos comfortably beat them in last weekend's Clasico.
So if Granada are going to get something from this game, they'll have to defend impeccably.
They've conceded 13 goals in nine matches so far and have only scored six, so keeping things tight is how they must approach the game.
After opening the season with two wins and two draws, they now find themselves without a win in five—their draw with Eibar last time out ended a run of four straight defeats.
Diego Mainz points out that they're not unfamiliar with beating La Liga's big boys, though, per EFE (via AS): "It’s not impossible to beat Real Madrid, it’s something we achieved two seasons ago and last season we beat Barcelona," the defender said, perhaps more in hope than belief.
He's right, though: It is not impossible—maybe unlikely but not impossible.
Madrid's In-Form Front 4
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"Isco and ten others," is the headline of a story on Marca on Friday as Real Madrid prepare to take on Granada.
Los Blancos' fans cannot get enough of the talented 22-year-old at the moment, and his name can frequently be heard echoing around the stands.
Since coming into the side for the win against Levante, where he scored one and created another, he's arguably been Madrid's best player.
In the wins against Liverpool and Barcelona, he delivered two of his finest performances since his move from Malaga.
However, despite Isco’s fine form, there is quite clearly much more depth to Real Madrid’s attack than just the diminutive Andalusian.
Even ignoring the most obvious threat, Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema has dazzled lately, and James Rodriguez is beginning to find his place in Ancelotti’s system after arriving in the Spanish capital this past summer.
If he plays, it will be Isco’s fifth consecutive start for Madrid, but it’s the entire front four that Granada will have to be switched on to.
Can You Stop Modric and Kroos?
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Luka Modric and Toni Kroos were handed a rest in midweek as Real Madrid eventually saw off the challenge of semiprofessional Segunda B side UE Cornella.
That’s bad news for Granada.
In the recent wins against Liverpool and Barcelona, the duo have been able to control the games, and given they’ve been allowed a game-free seven days, the same will be expected on Saturday.
If the home side let them play, Kroos and Modric will run the game.
However, pressing them, let alone stopping them, will not prove easy—as Liverpool and Barca found out recently.
