Preview: Huesca vs. Granada – prediction, team news, lineups

Huesca‘s bid to move off the bottom of the La Liga table will continue on Sunday evening when they welcome Granada to Estadio El Alcoraz.

The home side are currently 20th in the division, five points from the safety of 17th, while Granada occupy eighth position in Spain’s top flight, having picked up 30 points from their 23 league matches this term.

Match preview

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There is no getting away from the fact that it has been a tough season for Huesca, who have only secured 16 points from their 23 La Liga matches in 2020-21 to sit bottom of the table.

Pacheta‘s side are far from out of the picture, though, as they are only five points behind 17th-placed Eibar and six behind Alaves in 16th, meaning that a lot could change in the coming weeks.

Huesca picked up a much-needed win away to Real Valladolid at the end of January but have had two tough matches in February, losing at home to Real Madrid and away to Sevilla.

The reigning Segunda Division champions have only won one home league game this term and scored just six goals, which will not fill their supporters with too much confidence leading into Sunday’s contest.

The points were shared in a 3-3 draw when the two teams locked horns earlier this season, though, and Huesca recorded a 2-1 victory when the pair last clashed at Estadio El Alcoraz in the Segunda Division in April 2018.

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Granada, meanwhile, will enter the match off the back of an impressive 2-0 victory over Napoli in the first leg of their last-32 Europa League contest on Thursday night.

Yangel Herrera and Kenedy were on the scoresheet for the La Liga outfit, who have put themselves in an excellent position to reach the next round ahead of the second leg with the Serie A giants.

Granada’s recent league form has been disappointing, though, having failed to win any of their last five, and they suffered a 2-1 home defeat to leaders Atletico Madrid last weekend.

Diego Martinez‘s side remain eighth in the table, having picked up 30 points from their 23 matches this season, but they are only two points clear of Levante in 11th ahead of the next set of fixtures.

Huesca La Liga form: LLDWLL

Granada La Liga form: WDLDDL
Granada form (all competitions): WDLDLW

Team News

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Huesca will be without the services of Gaston Silva, who is out until the end of March with a knee injury, while Pedro Mosquera, Sandro Ramirez and Luisinho remain doubts.

Silva’s absence could see Pablo Insua earn a start in the back three, but the side could otherwise be unchanged from the one that took to the field against Sevilla.

As a result, Rafa Mir is again likely to be joined by Shinji Okazaki in the final third of the field, with Pablo Maffeo and Javier Galan operating in the wide positions.

As for Granada, Neyder Lozano, Quini, Luis Milla, Luis Suarez and Roberto Soldado are all on the sidelines through injury, while Jesus Vallejo is a doubt due to the problem that he picked up against Napoli.

Head coach Martinez is expected to make changes from the side that started on Thursday, with German Sanchez, Antonio Puertas, Yan Eteki and Alberto Soro all in line to start.

Jorge Molina is likely to keep his spot at the tip of the attack, though, while Herrera and Maxime Gonalons should retain their positions in the middle of the park.

Huesca possible starting lineup:
Fernandez; Pulido, Siovas, Insua; Maffeo, Doumbia, Rico, Seoane, Galan; Mir, Okazaki

Granada possible starting lineup:
Silva; Diaz, Duarte, Sanchez, Neva; Eteki, Gonalons, Herrera; Puertas, Molina, Soro

We say: Huesca 1-1 Granada

Huesca’s last two performances against Real Madrid and Sevilla will have given them confidence, and they should be the fresher of the two sides entering this weekend’s contest. Granada, on paper, are the favourites to triumph, but we can see the home side picking up a point on Sunday evening.