This Saturday, two teams that will be relegated from the Spanish LA Liga come face to face. As Granada visit Osasuna this weekend, there will be nothing at stake in the match, except pride, and motivation to finish this season on a positive note, just for the fans at least. Granada has been very poor, and as their efforts come short, their stay at the Spanish La Liga ends for now. Newly promoted Osasuna found the pressure of the top flight too much, and hence, will be relegated as they couldn’t get the required results to stay afloat.
CA OSASUNA vs GRANADA CF
3-Way: 1: CA OSASUNA -105; X: +309; Draw 2: GRANADA CF +391
Spread -0.5: CA OSASUNA -128; 2: GRANADA CF +121
Total +2.5: Over -141; Under +139
CA OSASUNA
When Osasuna got promoted to the Spanish La Liga, after being relegated 3 years ago, fans were hoping for a decent signings and good performances, which will be enough to keep them afloat in the league for some time. Alas, that hasn’t been the case, and the club will again be playing their trade in the second division of Spain. Poor attacking play and a leaky defense meant that they will have tough time getting used to the top flight, and that has been the case. With two games left, the fans will be hoping that the players turn up to at least preserve some of the pride of the club and have a decent end to a poor season in the Spanish La Liga.
With no cohesion and consistency from the players, winning matches are next to impossible for any team. That has been the case with Osasuna, as the club has been able to garner only 19 points so far, with 10 of those coming at home. Their current home record in the league is 1-3-2. They have been without a win in their last 5 matches in the league. Their last home match was two weeks ago, where they drew to Deportivo La Coruna 2:2, which was followed by an embarrassing defeat against Valencia away, with the final score being 4:1. Osasuna players missed gilt edged opportunities, as has been the case for much of this season. The most common result for the club has been a 0:3 defeat, which highlights their poor season.
Goals win football matches, i.e., scoring more, and conceding less than the opponent. However, Osasuna has failed with both the aspects; they have conceded a lot, and scored very less. They have scored just 38 goals this season in the Spanish La Liga. Only three teams have scored less. 21 of those goals have come at home. Their defense has been very leaky, conceding a whooping 88 goals this season in the league, with 38 of them conceded at home, with only 2 clean sheets kept throughout the season. Such a leaky defense was indicating only towards the bottom section of the table for the team.
Sergio Leon had tried his bit from the attacking front to help his team. His efforts have resulted in 10 goals so far in the league. Apart from him, Roberto Torres has also provided attacking flair, with 7 goals and 3 assists to his name. Alejandro Remiro is the team’s highest assist maker, with 6 assists to his name in the league.
Osasuna have a massive list of players that are affected due to injuries. 4 players, namely, David Garcia, Tano Bonnin, Miguel Flano, and Didier Digard, are out for the season. There are many players whose availability for the weekend clash is under doubt. They are, Inamol Garcia, Fran Merida, andSergio Leon Limones, while Javier Flano and Kenan Kodro are having fever and Concussion respectively and hence are doubts. On the positive note, Raoul Loe and Emmanuel Reiviere are back in training, and may be available for the match.
GRANADA CF
After a torrid season this year, Granada’s seven year long stay in the Spanish La liga finally comes to an end, and that to quite a disappointing one. They were always identified as a lower half team in the Spanish La Liga, but still they did manage to get enough positive results to finish in a safe position. At times they managed to hit quickly on the counter and hurt teams, but this season, all that has happened a bit too late, a bit too less. And hence, the team would want to put in positive performances so as to make their fans be happy about at least something.
They have been way to open this season, with opposition teams finding it extremely easy to cut through the defense and score goals. Sitting at 19th position in the Spanish La Liga table, they cannot finish any higher. The Nazaries have accumulated just 20 points this season. Granada have been winless on the road, as they have managed only 4 points on the road, that too via 4 draws. They are on a 6 match losing streak, and they have managed only 1 point in their last 6 away games. The most common result for Granada has been a 1:3 loss, which has occurred 6 times so far. This shows the downhill nature of the club’s results.
A poor attack, a weak defense, and a lack of solidity in the team’s midfield. All these factors resulted in disoriented performances, which led to defeats and dropped points. Granada have had the worst attack in the league, even after the presence of talented, energetic youngsters like Jeremy Boga( on loan from Chelsea) and Andreas Pereira (on loan from Manchester United). The Nazaries have managed to score only 28 times in the league.
To put that in perspective, Lionel Messi has more league goals than the entire Granada squad. 16 of those goals have come at home. They also have a terribly leaky defense, which has conceded a massive 78 goals in the league, better only than their next opponents, Osasuna. 48 of these goals have been conceded on the road. They have managed to keep just 3 clean sheets.
Granada’s top scorers in the league are Artem Kravets and Mehid Gonzalez, with 5 goals each. Both have made 2 and 1 assists each. After these two, Man Utd loanee Andreas Pereira has done his best to help the team, with 4 goals and 2 assists. When it comes to injury section, Granada have many players in doubt for the match. Matthieu Saunier is out for the season with a hamstring injury. Artem Kravets, Franck Tabanou, Dimitri Foulquier, Mubarak Wakaso, and Isaac Cuenca, all are major doubts for the match, which means that coach Tony Adams has a lot of problems to deal with in regards to the selection of personnel.
CA OSASUNA vs GRANADA CF MATCH PREDICTION
Keeping in mind the form, the stats, and the injury issues, it will most probably be a close affair. However, with both the teams having the worst defenses in the Spanish La Liga, it doesn’t really look like a match where any of the sides might keep a clean sheet. Saying that, I personally feel that Granada will edge this one through, and I say this because of their coach Tony Adams, who will furiously want his team to put on a show, especially for the fans. And moreover, Granada does have a few young talented players, who have it in them to make a difference. Therefore, my prediction will be a Granada win with both the teams scoring. For a more safer bet take the double chance X2.
MY PICK: GRANADA CF double chance X2 (+120)
Additional Pick: Both teams to score YES (-141)
