Luis Enrique’s side have recovered from the blip that opened up the title race a few weeks ago, winning their last four fixtures to hold off both Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid below them. Deportivo La Coruna were crushed 8-0, Sporting Gijon beaten 6-0, Real Betis overcome 2-0 and Espanyol thrashed 5-0, with Barca not even conceding a single goal in almost a month. It has been an excellent response to their previous run of just one point from 12, with Barcelona now looking more and more like their former selves as they attempt to wrap up a domestic double of La Liga and the Copa del Rey in the next nine days.
Granada, meanwhile, will be in a celebratory mood after they made sure of their top flight status for another season with a thumping 4-1 win away to Europa League finalists Sevilla last Sunday. Three victories in their last four outings has lifted them out of the bottom three – they have also lost on only three occasions in their previous 12 matches – and into the sanctuary of 16th place, with a three-point cushion and superior head-to-head record with both Sporting Gijon and Getafe below them meaning they cannot fall back into the drop zone.
Whether their situation makes Granada easier or more difficult opponents remains to be seen: on the one hand, they may play with greater freedom now that the threat of demotion has subsided, but on the other hand they could lack application and intensity given that they have already achieved their primary objective for 2015/16.
Regardless of Granada’s state of mind ahead of Saturday’s clash at the Estadio Nuevo Los Carmenes, Barcelona should simply prove too strong for their opponents and take the La Liga title for the sixth time in eight years rather comfortably. While they have perhaps not been as imperious as earlier in the season, Barca have nevertheless been much improved in the last few weeks and do not look like letting their lead slip at this stage.
The relatively long odds widely available on a 4-0 victory for Luis Enrique’s side makes that a tempting potential wager this weekend, while midfielder Ivan Rakitic is a good outside bet for first goalscorer – Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar are the favourites to find the back of the net first but backing either of the attacking trio will not bring much of a return. In terms of less obvious options, right-back Dani Alves and centre-half Gerard Pique to pick up yellow cards is something that could be worth exploring.
.png)
.png)
