Granada vs Espanyol Predictions & Match Preview

Granada vs Espanyol predictions and match preview for Sunday’s LaLiga fixture. Read on for analysis, the head-to-head, team news and predicted lineups as the hosts target survival on the final weekend.

Granada vs Espanyol Preview

There’s sure to be a cracking atmosphere at Los Carmenes this weekend as Granada welcome Espanyol in the knowledge that three points will keep Aitor Karanka’s side in the Primera. They couldn’t really wish for a better fixture to have given the visitors have nothing to play for and have been poor away all season.

Karanka has made a real impact since taking charge last month at Granada. It felt like the wheels had truly come off when they lost 4-1 at home to now relegated Levante in April but Karanka came in and instantly made them better defensively with his first two games resulting in tight draws against Atletico Madrid and Celta Vigo.

Vital wins against Mallorca and Athletic Club soon followed but they missed the chance to secure safety last weekend as they slipped to a 2-0 defeat at the Benito Villamarin. It’s safe to say there will be no shortage of tension here and Granada fans will have one eye on what’s going on in Vitoria and Pamplona where relegation rivals Cadiz and Mallorca are in action. Overall though, Granada are in by far the best position of the three to beat the drop and they can call on experienced heads such as Jorge Molina to guide their younger players through the tension and emotion of the day.

There will be none of that from an Espanyol perspective and their players don’t even have a coach to try to impress ahead of next season following the recent sacking of Vicente Moreno. They have been safe for some time but a six game winless run has made it a fairly uninspiring ending to the season. Rumblings of dressing room discontent and speculation over the future of key striker Raul De Tomas has added to the uncertainty heading into the summer.

De Tomas is suspended here which is another major boost for Granada’s chances of beating the drop. Loren Moron may get a rare start up top and it could also potentially be the final game for keeper Diego Lopez who has continued to be first choice at the age of 40 this season but may not get another contract which could potentially lead to his retirement.

Head to Head

• Last 6 Competitive Meetings: 3 Espanyol Wins, 2 Granada Wins, 1 Draw.
• Espanyol have won on 3 of their last 5 trips to Los Carmenes, losing only once.
• However that defeat was on their most recent visit in 2020.
• Espanyol won the reverse fixture 2-0 at the RCDE Stadium earlier this term.

Team News

Latest LaLiga Injuries & Suspensions

Possible Lineups

Granada vs Espanyol Predictions

Score Prediction: Granada 3-0 Espanyol

This is exactly the kind of fixture you want to have if you’re in a position of needing to win a final day game to stay up. Espanyol are not only clearly winding down towards their summer breaks, but they have the second worst away record in the league and are also missing their biggest goal threat to suspension. Granada have been much better under Karanka and if they can get an early goal, they could win this with some breathing space.

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