La Liga Real Madrid vs Granada: An Unexpected Top of the Table Clash

Real Madrid vs Granada

Who could have predicted that after seven matches, the La Liga Real Madrid vs Granada fixture would turn out to be a battle between first and second in the table? Lo and behold, it’s a reality.

Real are currently top and remain the league’s lone undefeated team despite some less than impressive performances. They had seemingly turned the corner until they suffered another setback in midweek against Club Brugge in the Champions League.

As for Granada, they are just a point behind Real after racking up the wins of late on the strength of some fine defensive displays. But their defensive resolve will be put to the test as they take a trip to the always-imposing Santiago Bernabeu.

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Talking Points

Real take a step back

Real Madrid had seemingly resolved some of their early-season issues following their 3-0 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League.

After that match, Real went undefeated in three La Liga matches — two wins over Sevilla and Osasuna and a 0-0 draw against rivals Atletico in the Madrid derby — and kept a clean sheet in all three games.

However, they suffered yet another setback in Europe against Club Brugge at the Bernabeu. Real went down 2-0 after a disastrous first half before rallying to salvage a 2-2 draw.

Thibaut Courtois, who has not been at his best since joining Real, was subbed off at half-time due to an alleged shoulder injury. Meanwhile, fellow Belgian Eden Hazard also continued his poor run of form to start the season.

Even Luka Modric was off his game. The reigning Ballon d’Or winner was rusty as he made his first start since returning from a groin injury. It was his error which led to Brugge’s second goal.

It wouldn’t be much of a surprise if the Real Madrid vs Granada updates reveal that manager Zinedine Zidane has decided to make a number of changes to his side after that disappointing midweek performance. The likes of Luka Jovic, Vinicius Jr., and Gareth Bale could all get their chance to start and impress.

Vinicius did just that in Real’s last home game in the league against Osasuna, where they ran out 2-0 winners.

Granada going great guns

Granada are in simply outstanding form at the moment. After a 4-4 draw and a home defeat to Sevilla in their first two games, they have gone unbeaten in their last five with four wins and a draw. They conceded just one goal during that time, which came in their 1-1 draw against Valladolid.

Nazaries set their sights to claim the top spot as they travel to Santiago Bernabeu in La Liga Real Madrid vs Granada — Alvaro Vadillo celebrates scoring their second goal against Barcelona

Granada also produced one of the shocks of the season when they brought down Barcelona 2-0 at home.

Roberto Soldado is perhaps the biggest name on Granada’s team. The former Tottenham Hotspur and Valencia striker has had a decent start to the season with one goal and two assists. But aside from veteran striker, the new boys don’t have many other recognisable names on their squad.

Midfielder Antonio Puertas has been arguably the team’s best player thus far this season. The 27-year-old leads the team with three goals on nearly two shots per game. He scored the winner in their latest 1-0 victory over Leganes.

After seeing how vulnerable Real looked even at home against subpar competition, Granda should come into the Bernabeu with a bit more confidence that they can take the game to their hosts.

History

The head-to-head history between Real Madrid and Granada is as one-sided as it gets. Real have won 11 of their 12 meetings, with Granada’s only win coming way back in 2013.

Real have won all five matches at the Bernabeu by an astounding scoreline of 25-2. That includes a 9-1 hammering back in 2015, which saw Cristiano Ronaldo score a hat-trick in just eight minutes en route to his first-ever five-goal game.

They last met back in the 2016-17 season, with Real also winning by an aggregate score of 9-0 — 5-0 at home and 4-0 away.

Betting Tip

	Real Madrid vs Granada	Under 3.50 Goals @ 1.74
	October 5, 22:00 (GMT+8)

The Real Madrid vs Granada odds clearly haven’t put any stock into the visitors’ strong start or the fact that they’re in second. Granada are priced at 9.25 to win at the Bernabeu with Real at 1.32 and a draw at 4.90.

Despite their shock home win over Barcelona, it seems highly unlikely that the newly-promoted side can claim another huge scalp over Spain’s other superpower away from home.

Still, I suspect Granada can make things difficult for Real, who continue to sputter along. That’s why I’m going for the total to go under 3.50 goals in what should be a relatively low-scoring affair.