Granada CF vs Atl. Madrid prediction: SPAIN: LaLiga betting tips on match 2024-01-21 20:00.
Life back in the top-flight has been far from easy for Granada, with just two wins from their opening 20 league games (D5, L13) leaving them rooted inside the relegation zone. Boss Alexander Medina is turning to the transfer market for reinforcements as he looks to salvage their season, and with rumours swirling that Manchester United and Uruguay winger Facundo Pellistri is set to sign on loan, perhaps help is on the way.
Yet maybe it’s in defence where the Nasrids need the most help, as they’ve managed a division-low one clean sheet so far. That did come in their last home game however (2-0 v Cádiz), and given Granada have lost just one of their last four league games here (W1, D2) and avoided defeat on this ground against the likes of Athletic Bilbao, Barcelona and Real Betis, the visit of Atlético Madrid may not be so daunting.
Atleti’s truly dominant H2H record flies in the face of that, with boss Diego Simeone losing just one of his 18 meetings with Granada as a manager (W14, D3). His side have been on an emotional rollercoaster since last playing in La Liga nearly three weeks ago, twice battling arch-rivals Real Madrid all the way to extra time in two different cup competitions (W1, L1).
They emerged on the right side of the result on Thursday night in the Copa del Rey, and that could serve as a timely confidence boost as the Mattress Makers look to reel in the top-four. An improvement on the road will be necessary to achieve that, as AtlĂ©tico have astonishingly lost four consecutive away league matches – they’ve not lost five such matches in a row since 2010!
Players to watch: Granada forward Myrto Uzuni has netted six times in La Liga this season, two of which arrived in the 86th minute. AtlĂ©tico’s Antoine Griezmann scored decisively in the Madrid derby on Thursday – a perfect warm-up as he looks to add to his tally of 14 direct goal contributions in 20 H2Hs (G8, A6).
Hot stat: Granada have conceded a division-high 12 goals between the 31st minute and half-time in La Liga.