Barcelona vs. Granada: Team News, Predicted Lineups, Live Stream, TV Info
Barcelona take on a struggling Granada side in the weekend's early kick-off, looking to put pressure on table-topping Atletico Madrid who wait until Sunday evening to face Celta Vigo at Balaidos.
A bruising Copa del Rey encounter against Espanyol fortunately doesn't seem to have done any lasting damage to any of Luis Enrique's regulars, but it would appear from comments made it wasn't for the want of trying.
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Video evidence also shows the lengths the Periquitos were prepared to go to to gain an advantage in the match.
"Here's #Espanyol keeper stomping on Leo #Messi --> https://t.co/StqEUeYpSw
— SoccerNews.com (@SoccerNewsFeed) January 7, 2016"
Enrique has to therefore decide whether to rest his star players in this one and send them into battle again on Wednesday or play them against Granada to hopefully ensure three points, then rest them in the cup game.
Perhaps Lucho will even play his strongest side in both, but clearly there is bad blood between the two local rivals, and the manager must take that into account when making his next selections.
Both Barca and Granada are at full strength for the game, Sergi Roberto overcoming a slight niggle that saw him missing the cup tie.
Granada manager Jose Ramon Sandoval has an almost impossible task to win this match. In the eight games played since 2011, Barca have won seven, losing one and have a goalscoring margin of 23-6 over their opponents, per Fussball Wettpoint.
The visitors have managed to score three at Camp Nou before now, but given the away form that they're in this season—just two wins, at bottom-placed Levante and struggling Getafe—it will take a miracle for this game to be anything other than a home win, which will send Barca back to the top of the table.
Not that Enrique is prepared to take any chances. He told reporters at his pre-match press conference, per FCBarcelona.com:
"Granada need points, and that makes them more dangerous. They’re physically strong and they work hard.
It’s important that we keep it so that we depend on ourselves. They (Granada) are on the upswing after a positive result against Sevilla, with the need for points, with good football players and good players on attack that can create problems in the transition game.
[...] We’re the current league champions and we want to win the title again, win again at home, and keep moving down the right path.
"
Game on.
Date: Saturday, 9 January
Time: 3 p.m. GMT/10 a.m. ET
Venue: Camp Nou, Barcelona
TV Info: Sky Sports (extended highlights from 9:30 p.m.) )UK only/beIN Sports 1 (U.S. only)
Live Stream: beIN Sports Connect (U.S. only),
Form Lines
| Barcelona | Granada |
| W 4-1 vs. Espanyol | L 0-4 vs. Valencia |
| D 0-0 vs. Espanyol | W 2-1 vs. Sevilla |
| W 4-0 vs. Real Betis | L 1-4 vs. Las Palmas |
| W 3-0 vs. River Plate | L 0-2 vs. Celta Vigo |
| W 3-0 vs. Guangzhou Evergrande | W 1-0 vs. Leganes |
| D 2-2 vs. Deportivo La Coruna | W 2-1 vs. Levante |
Credit: WhoScored.com
Predicted Formations
If Granada have any aspirations to win this match, then they have to attack Barcelona at some stage.
Sandoval has shown himself to be a decent tactician and one who isn't frightened to change up a formation if it's not working.
Against Sevilla last time out, the manager opted for a 3-4-1-2 approach that gave him enough bodies at the back when required, a four-man midfield becoming a five but also allowing Edgar Mendez and Dimitri Foulquier in the wider areas to be able to get forward and support the front men.
Ruben Rochina tends to get through a lot of work as a roving No. 10 behind the twin threats of top-scoring Isaac Success and Adalberto Penaranda.
In many respects, the visitors need to defend from the front here and make things as difficult as possible for their hosts.
Working back and foraging for scraps is likely to be as much a part of Granada's game as getting forward and in behind as often as practicable.
Ex-Blackburn man Rochina is very often the creator of this team but also a player who doesn't mind putting his foot in if the need arises, something that's a bit of a "hot potato" topic for Barca at present.
Both front men also need to do their share in this regard, especially if Gerard Pique decides to meander forward as he's done on numerous occasions recently.
Rene Krhin and Ruben Perez need to up their work rate and standard of individual performance if they want to limit the amount of opportunities for the hosts. Far too often Krhin has left his defender Doria exposed down the left side, ditto Perez with David Lomban.
Barca have the nous to widen the gaps between the two holding midfielders and in so doing force centre-back Diego Mainz forward and out of his comfort zone.
At least Sandoval has a match-winner in the shape of goalkeeper Andres Fernandez who has been outstanding at times this season.
If Foulquier and Mendez can at least impose their own game, then it forces Arda Turan and Andres Iniesta to play square or backwards, suiting the visitors to a tee.
Sergio Busquets will have Rochina snapping at his ankles but should have more than enough about him to see and importantly play the pass throughout.
Dani Alves, Gerard Pique, Javier Mascherano and Jordi Alba make up a first-choice Barca back line with Claudio Bravo back in for La Liga duties between the sticks.
Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez will ensure the visitors' back three have a thorough working over before taking a well-earned rest prior to the midweek return in the cup.
It'll be interesting to note Suarez's mindset, too, in this one. Although his recent two-game ban only applies to the Copa del Rey, a suggestion that the Uruguayan is perhaps being singled out again could weigh on his mind and affect his output.
Player to Watch
Just this past week young Isaac Success celebrated his 20th birthday. How he'd surely like to round off the week with a goal and a win at Camp Nou.
Alongisde Penaranda, he leads the way in scoring terms for Granada this season and has relegated Youssef El-Arabi to the bench in the main.
El-Arabi used to be the go-to man for Sandoval's side, but the Nigerian has shown he has what it takes at this level to be a success.
This match will almost certainly be a step up in class for him, and he'll have his work cut out against a measly Barca defence who have let in just three goals in their last six games.
However, he can be an awkward customer, and there have been a sprinkling of decent, hard-working performances from him and ones that have seen positive outcomes with goals. Sevilla being one, Athletic Club another.
Success tends to excel when backs are against the wall, and it won't be for the want of trying that he isn't on the winning side against Barca.
Key Battle
Ex-Barca B defender David Lomban is already familiar with being on the losing side against his previous club.
When at Elche, Lomban became accustomed to not taking the points even though his own performances weren't always so bad.
An experienced, if journeyman professional, Lomban at least has the nous for sitting and holding position or moving through the gears to support his front men.
Against Neymar, his decision-making will need to be spot on, less he is continuously embarrassed throughout the 90 minutes by a man on top of his game.
The young Brazilian has provided some wonderful moments of skill and endeavour for his employers already this season, the last a fabulous one-two with Messi that led to the fourth goal of four against Espanyol.
"#Neymar goal against Espanyol 4-1 assist #Messi #fcblive pic.twitter.com/5XuqssvAx6
— Haitham Culé (@fcbnews_) January 6, 2016"
Lomban will never beat Neymar in a foot race, and there's little point in showing him down the outside either because we know that he'll have the beating of the defender there, too.
Touch-tight is perhaps the only way Lomban combats the excellence of his opponent, perhaps taking a card for his team in the process.
Odds
Barcelona: 1-25
Espanyol: 2247-100
Draw: 71-5
(via Odds Shark)
