Villareal are looking for consecutive wins when they host Granada in the La Liga on Sunday. The Yellow Submarines come into the match fresh off a 3-1 triumph at Real Sociedad. Granada’s most recent match ended in a 1-1 draw with cellar team Almeria.
Preview (Villarreal vs. Granada)
Villarreal’s performance in La Liga this year has been lackluster. They have only collected 29 points from 26 games, placing them 13 points behind Real Betis in sixth place. Despite being 23 points outside of the top four, the Yellow Submarines can still make it to the Champions League the following season if they win the Europa League, where they are currently in the competition’s last-16 stage. However, their immediate emphasis is on the league. They will go into the match against Granada riding a six-game winning streak in the top division of Spain.
In their current La Liga run, Villarreal has won two and drawn four of their last six games. Their two wins during that run came against Real Sociedad (3-1) and Barcelona (5-3), but they have drawn their last three league games at home against Mallorca, Cadiz, and Getafe. The Yellow Submarines had defeated Granada 3-2 in their rematch earlier this season, and they have not lost to the team in La Liga since March 2014.
The team led by Alexander Medina has drawn its past three league games against Las Palmas, Barcelona, and Almeria. Their most recent triumph came in their opening game of 2024, defeating Cadiz 2-0. The Andalusian team has played 25 league games this season, winning two, drawing eight, and losing fifteen. With 14 points, they are now in 19th place in the standings, seven points behind 17th-place Celta Vigo. This season, Granada has won 12 of its 14 games at home. Their road record is especially bad, as they have lost 10 of their 12 games while only drawing twice. Grana’s victory in the 2022–23 Segunda Division ensured a return to this level.
Team News
Due to injuries, Yemery Pino, Denis Suarez, Juan Foyth, Ramon Terrats, and Alfonso Pedraza will be out for Villarreal from this weekend’s game. Jorge Cuenca is suspended after receiving a yellow card against Real Sociedad. With Gonzalo Guedes joining Gerard Moreno in the last third, head coach Marcelino could use the same starting lineup that faced Real Sociedad at the opening whistle. After scoring in the previous game, Santi Comesana is expected to stay in centre midfield, forcing players like Dani Parejo, Étienne Capoue, and Alexander Sorloth to accept substitute positions once more.
Regarding Granada, injuries prevent Bruno Mendez, Jesus Vallejo, and Raul Fernandez from being selected. Additionally, Gerard Gumbau will not be available for the struggling team to use because he is suspended following his milestone yellow card that he received in the previous matchup with Almeria. Due to an injury that took him off early against Almeria, Gonzalo Villar is also questionable. However, Ignasi Miquel is back available following a ban and should be back in the back four.
Villarreal 2-1 Granada
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