Barcelona will be playing host to eighth positioned Granada on Thursday evening at the Camp Nou Stadium. Barcelona have garnered momentum in the La Liga title race following their defeat to Real Madrid in the El Clasico.
Ronald Koeman’s side are now favorites to win the title after Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid both dropped points last weekend. A victory against Granada will take the Catalans to the top of the Primera Division points tally before they square off against Diego Simeone’s side.
Ronald Koeman is not expected to rest any of his first string players for this fixture with the title race edging closer and closer in the closing few matchdays. Barcelona will be without the services of Ansu Fati, Philippe Coutinho and Martin Braithwaite for the fixture courtesy of injuries.
The Catalan side will however have to be careful with the inclusion of four players in the starting eleven. Lionel Messi, Antoine Griezmann, Frenkie de Jong, and Oscar Mingueza are all one caution away from serving a one-match suspension. Here’s how Barcelona could take to the field on Thursday evening.
Barcelona Predicted Line-Up Against Granada
Defence
Marc Andre Ter Stegen will take command in goal for the Catalan side. The German will want to add to his clean-sheet tally for the season in order to catch up with Thibaut Courtois and Jan Oblak. Barcelona have been consistent with the three at the back formation in recent weeks and Gerard Pique is expected to start in this fixture. Clement Lenglet and Oscar Mingueza will start on either side of the veteran Spanish defender. Jordi Alba and Sergino Dest will be occupying the wing-back positions on the left and right-hand side respectively.
Midfield
Pedri will start at the centre of the pitch for Barcelona. The youngster has become a crucial part of the team despite it being his first season in the Catalan capital. Sergio Busquets will try to orchestrate things from the heart of Barcelona’s midfield and give the team steady momentum. Barcelona can not afford to drop any more points from this fixture as it will directly hurt their title quest. Frenkie de Jong will occupy the last available position in midfield. The Dutchman’s performances have not been exceptional in recent weeks and a special performance from the youngster awaits us. Moriba, Puig, and Pjanic could feature in the game off the substitutes bench.
Attack
Antoine Griezmann and Lionel Messi will continue to spearhead Barcelona’s attacking endeavours as they have done all season long. Antoine Griezmann stepped up his performance against Villarreal and inspired his team to a 1-2 victory after falling behind in the opening half an hour. The two attackers are one of the best in the business and Ronald Koeman will not have to bang his head against the wall in order to explain their role. Ousmane Dembele and Francisco Trincao could be introduced into the field of play in the latter stages of the match.
Barcelona Predicted Line-Up Against Granada
