Levante VS Granada CF - Spanish La Liga, Match Preview

Match Time：2/6/2021 21:00 Saturday  (GMT+8)

Spanish La Liga --  Levante   VS   Granada CF

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Levante will be looking to make it four straight victories in all competitions when they continue their 2020-21 La Liga campaign at home to Granada on Saturday afternoon.

 

Paco Lopez's side booked their spot in the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey with a 1-0 win over Villarreal on Wednesday night, but Granada suffered a 5-3 loss to Barcelona to exit the competition in the final eight.

 

Match preview

Levante managed to book their spot in the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey for just the second time in their history courtesy of a 1-0 victory over fellow La Liga side Villarreal on Wednesday night. Lopez's side also won 2-1 at Real Madrid in the league last weekend, and they will bring an eight-game unbeaten run in all competitions into this match, four of which have been in Spain's top flight.

 

Levante have not finished higher than 10th in La Liga since the 2011-12 campaign but are currently ninth in the table, having picked up 26 points from their 20 matches this term, and the Frogs would join Granada on 29 points if they managed to triumph on Saturday afternoon.

 

The Valencia-based outfit have been impressive on home soil this season, losing just one of their nine league matches and picking up four victories in the process; they are also unbeaten in their last three matches with Granada, although the two teams have shared the points in their last two clashes. Granada appeared to be heading for the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey on Wednesday night when they led Barca 2-0 heading into the final stages of the contest, but Ronald Koeman's side forced extra time with two late goals before going on to record a 5-3 victory at Estadio Nuevo Los Carmenes.

 

The defeat would have been difficult to take, but it is vital that Diego Martinez's side move on as soon as possible as a disappointing run has seen them win just one of their last six league matches.

 

El Grana finished seventh in La Liga last season and will be expecting to challenge for a similar spot this term, but they have dropped down to eighth during a poor run of form and are only five points ahead of 13th-placed Cadiz heading into this weekend's contest. Granada, who drew 0-0 with Celta in their last league match, managed to qualify for the knockout rounds of the Europa League, meanwhile, and will face Italian giants Napoli in a two-legged affair later this month.

 

Levante La Liga form: WLWDDW

Levante form (all competitions): WDDWWW

 

Granada La Liga form: LLWDLD

Granada form (all competitions): WDLWDL

 

Team News

Levante will again be without the services of Jorge de Frutos, Jose Campana and Nikola Vukcevic through injury this weekend, but Lopez's side did not pick up any fresh issues against Villarreal. There will be changes from the side that started in the quarter-finals of the Copa del Rey, with Jose Luis Morales, Roger Marti, Sergio Leon and Gonzalo Melero among those in line to return. Nemanja Radoja should keep his spot in the middle of the park, though, with the likes of Enis Bardhi, Dani Gomez and Ruben Rochina likely to drop down to the bench for this contest. As for Granada, Yangel Herrera, Luis Milla, Neyder Lozano and Maxime Gonalons remain unavailable for selection, but Martinez will make changes from the clash with Barca.

 

Darwin Machis, Fede Vico, Dimitri Foulquier and Luis Suarez are among those expected to return to the starting XI, while Rui Silva and Jesus Vallejo should also be back in the side. Roberto Soldado and Kenedy were both on the scoresheet against Barca, but the former could drop to the bench, with Suarez potentially playing through the middle and Vico operating just behind.

 

Levante possible starting lineup:

Fernandez; Miramon, Postigo, Duarte, Clerc; Melero, Radoja, Malsa, Morales; Leon, Marti

 

Granada possible starting lineup:

Silva; Foulquier, Duarte, Vallejo, Neva; Montoro, Eteki; Kenedy, Vico, Machis; L Suarez

 

Prediction: Levante 1-1 Granada