Barcelona will travel to Los Carmenes in an attempt to put pressure on Real Madrid to stay in the hunt for the La Liga title. They are still fresh from their stupendous 4-2 victory over Valencia and would go into the match with sheer confidence.
Lionel Messi won’t be available for this match as he has accumulated five yellow cards which means he has to sit out of the match. Barcelona’s reliance on Messi will be tested in this match as Granada are hovering over the relegation zone and they will push themselves to cause an upset. Arda Turan picked up a groin injury while playing for Turkey and will miss the match.
Luis Enrique will welcome Jeremy Mathieu who has started training and might make it to the bench against Granada. The Catalans somehow managed to pull off a 1-0 win in the reverse fixture and without Messi, it remains to be seen what approach Enrique takes in the match.
Predicted 4-3-3 Barcelona Lineup Vs Granada
Defence
Ter Stegen has been the first choice keeper for Luis Enrique and he has so far done a pretty good job to keep his place in the Barcelona goal.
Enrique has been experimenting with a three-man defence in the last couple of matches and it seems he will stick to the 3-4-3 system. Javier Mascherano will take the field and will be at the heart of the Catalans backline.
Gerard Pique has been one of the most underrated defenders of the La Liga and has been a constant presence in the defence.
Samuel Umtiti will complete the back three. The youngster so far has been in impeccable form and will be looking to continue the run.
Midfield
Andres Iniesta and Sergio Busquets will be in the middle of the park. The midfielders have been very reliable when it comes to delivering in crunch situations and Enrique will once again rely on his trusted players.
Jordi Alba and Sergi Roberto are the favourites to take the left wing back and right wing back position respectively. Wingbacks are a very important part of this formation as they have to utilise the wider position continuously to support the attacking players.
Attack
With Messi and Turan both injured, Rafinha will get a chance to prove his mettle. He will start on the right side of the attack.
Neymar will try to carry forward his brilliant form to this game. The Brazilian has to take this opportunity to lead the team from the front in the absence of Messi.
Luis Suarez will be the sole striker up front.
