07/13/2020 - 13:31
- Clarín.com
- sports
Real Madrid visits Granada at the Nuevo Los Cármenes stadium, trying to achieve a victory that leaves him on the verge of being crowned champion of the Santander League of Spain.
In the match closing date 36, the Merengue will be able to get back to four points clear of Barcelona , their nearest challengers, and when the contest will remain only two dates remaining.
In addition, the team led by Zinedine Zidane has the "tiebreaker" clause in their favor : if they finish with the same number of points as Barcelona, they will be crowned champion for having won one of the two duels between them (the other is tied).
Zinedine Zidane again left James Rodríguez out of the squad. (DPA)
For Real Madrid it will represent the most complicated start of the two that remain until the end of the championship, since Granada, with 50 points, is part of a batch of six teams that are struggling to keep the second and last qualifying place for the next UEFA Europe League , from which, at the moment, he is still marginalized.
The leader of La Liga comes with 80 points, one more than Barcelona , which put pressure on the Madrid team after winning 1-0 at Valladolid, on their visit to Nuevo Zorrilla last Saturday.
After playing in Andalusia, Real Madrid will host Villarreal and will close its participation in Leganés , one of the three teams that are losing the category. Barcelona, meanwhile, will be Osasuna's home and Alavés's visitor .
French striker Karim Benzema will start against Granada, for date 36 of the Santander League in Spain. (Photo: Gabriel Bouys / AFP).
Zinedine Zidane's team starts a week of madness, with three matches in six days , focusing each match individually and facing it as if it were a final. The forces begin to falter but not so the results, with a full of triumphs that brings him closer to the title every day.
The little goal power of the white team, 64 goals in 35 days and only five in their last four wins, counteracts it with extreme defensive firmness. Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois comes to this match with a streak of 457 minutes without receiving goals . In addition, the Belgian only saw his fence fall twice in the eight games played since the league restart.
Three of those five goals scored in the previous four commitments were through penalties, two converted by Sergio Ramos and the remaining by Karim Benzema. The refereeing performance in Real Madrid matches is at the center of attention , as there were controversial failures, between sanctions and omitted, which favored him in the final leg of the League .
📽️ LaLiga Diaries | @RealMadrid 2-0 @Alaves
8️⃣x5️⃣ Eighth victory followed by the leader and fifth consecutive game unbeaten! #RMLiga | #HalaMadrid pic.twitter.com/1XgsOt58rQ
To continue his streak in Granada he will have the reinforcement in defense of Dani Carvajal and Sergio Ramos, absent against Alavés by sanction, and which alleviate defensive absences with Marcelo as a loss in the rest of the League due to a muscle injury and Nacho Fernández still out of combat. He will look for Zidane energy in the midfield betting on Federico Valverde and the main question is whether to force Eden Hazard or keep him on the bench.
Real Madrid will present Benzema as the only striker , who arrives on a streak and fighting with Leo Messi for the top scorer trophy, with 22 and 18 goals, respectively. How to accompany the Frenchman is the main point to be solved by Zidane, who would give Rodrygo the chance again.
Zidane decided to do without Colombian James Rodríguez in this meeting . The left-hander, according to the coach, had asked last week not to be called up to face Athletic Bilbao at San Mamés.
Marco Asensio's goal against Alavés, which sealed the victory by 2 to 0. (EFE)
Granada arrives very toned after having won on the field of Real Sociedad on Friday (3 to 2), which leaves him within walking distance of the places that entitle him to play the Europa League next season.
The good moment of Granada as a visitor, with six games without losing, contrasts with the problems it is having in its last matches at home, where not having the support of its public led it to the point of accumulating two defeats and a draw in its three most recent presentations.
Diego Martínez loses defender Jesús Vallejo, who was injured against Real Sociedad. The physical wear of the Andalusians will lead their coach to introduce refreshment players to the team, such as the cases of central defender Germán Sánchez, the media Fede Vico and the Nigerian Ramon Azeez, or the Venezuelan attacker Darwin Machís.
The celebration of Roberto Soldado and Granada in the 3-2 victory against Real Sociedad. (DPA)
Possible formations
Granada : Rui Silva; Víctor Díaz, Domingos Duarte, Germán Sánchez, Carlos Neva; Yan Eteki, Ramón Azeez; Darwin Machís, Fede Vico, Gil Dias; Roberto Soldado. DT : Diego Martínez.
Real Madrid : Thibaut Courtois; Dani Carvajal, Raphael Varane, Sergio Ramos, Ferland Mendy; Casemiro, Toni Kroos, Federico Valverde; Rodrygo, Eden Hazard and Karim Benzema. DT : Zinedine Zidane.
Time : 5:00 p.m. (Argentine time).
TV : DirecTV Sports.
Referee : Jaime Latre.
Stadium : New Los Cármenes.
