Prediction: Granada vs Real Madrid

Verdict: Real Madrid win & under five goals

Best Odds: 8/11

Bookmaker: Unibet

Knowing they face a must-win showdown on Thursday night, Real Madrid will make the trip to the Estadio Nuevo Los Cármenes when they face off against Granada.

Granada

Starting with the hosts, while Granada might have stunned almost everyone across Europe when landing that 2-1 win away at Barcelona a fortnight ago, Diego Martínez’s men have really failed to build off of that result. Missing out on a string of golden chances to potentially make a late charge for another European finish, Nazaríes are coming off the back of back-to-back defeats at the hands of Cadiz and Real Betis. Knowing that they could head into the final weekend by dropping out of the top-half, the Andalusia-based outfit have also shown some worrying recent issues on home soil. Last seen at the Estadio Nuevo Los Cármenes getting hit with that 1-0 loss against Cadiz on May 2nd, Martínez’s side have lost three of their last four contests at home. Also watching Manchester United end their Europa League adventure last month, Granada also hold a concerning record against Thursday’s guests. Including a 2-0 defeat in the capital back in December, Nazaríes have remarkably lost each of their last 11 straight meetings against Real Madrid.

Team News

Striker Roberto Soldado will once again miss out on Thursday night due to suspension.

Suffering a hamstring injury last time out, Angel Montoro will join the likes of Kenedy, Jesus Vallejo and Carlos Neva on the sidelines.

Real Madrid

As for the visitors, while Real Madrid might have managed to snatch that last-gasp point against Sevilla last time out, it does not cover what has been a worrying blip for Los Blancos. Eventually having to settle for that 2-2 draw in the capital over the weekend, The Whites missed yet another chance to make up some ground in the title chase. With just three La Liga contests remaining this season, Zinedine Zidane’s men still find themselves sat two points adrift of crosstown rivals Atletico. Now in a real uphill battle to try and reclaim their domestic crown, Madrid also face the prospect of ending the season without any silverware to show for their troubles. Crashing out of the Champions League thanks to that 3-1 aggregate defeat against Premier League outfit Chelsea last week, the French icon has now seen his stalling squad win just one of their last five matchups on the bounce. Really gaining a recent reputation as a stalemate specialist, it should also be noted that Thursday’s guests have recorded just a pair of wins in their last eight attempts.

Team News

Real Madrid will once again be without the defensive trio of Dani Carvajal, Lucas Vazquez and Ferland Mendy on Thursday night.

Los Blancos are also sweating over the fitness of both Marcelo and Alvaro Odriozola.

Key Factors to Consider

• Including a 2-0 defeat in the capital back in December, Nazaríes have remarkably lost each of their last 11 straight meetings against Real Madrid.
• However, along with winning just one of their last five matchups, Los Blancos have also recorded just a pair of wins in their last eight attempts.
• Granada have lost three of their last four home fixtures across all formats.
• Thursday’s hosts have also failed to record a single clean sheet in any of their last 11 straight contests.
• Despite their recent blip, Real Madrid are unbeaten in their last 12 La Liga contests on the road.

Conclusion

Only managing to salvage a last-gasp point against Sevilla over the weekend, Real Madrid really know that time is starting to tick away. With Atletico still holding a two-point buffer at the top of the table, Los Blancos face what is a must-win showdown at the Estadio Nuevo Los Cármenes on Thursday night. While Zidane’s side might have shown some signs of a wobble over the past three weeks, they should be boosted by what is a rampant record against a struggling Granada. Landing themselves a 2-0 win when they welcomed the hosts to the Spanish capital back in December, The Whites have remarkably won each of their last 11 straight meetings against Nazaríes. With Diego Martínez’s men coming off the back of back-to-back defeats at the hands of Cadiz and Real Betis, we’re backing a similar away win in midweek.

Verdict: Real Madrid win & under five goals

Best Odds: 8/11

Bookmaker: Unibet