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Having won six consecutive Liga BBVA games, Real Madrid visit the Estadio Los Cármenes in Granada with a clear goal in mind: keep that good momentum alive in order to have a shot at leading the Liga table by Christmas break. And by taking a look at Real Madrid's upcoming schedule in the Spanish competition, this could be a manageable goal. Other than Saturday's match in Granada, Los Blancos will visit Almería, Eibar, Málaga while they hosting Rayo and Celta.
Granada will surely be a tough team to beat away from the Bernabéu. Joaquín Caparrós is a very experienced coach who knows how to play Real Madrid. He's not afraid of sitting deep and wait for some counterattacking opportunities, and that's usually a good strategy when facing Real Madrid. Still, considering how stuffed of quality and playmaking skills Real Madrid's Starting XI will be, it will be hard for the Andalusian team to hold on to a draw. After all, James, Isco and Kroos know how to break through tight defensive lines.
Granada usually play with a 4-3-3 formation that looks like a 4-5-1 without the ball, a scenario that will be very usual in this SAturday's clash against Real Madrid. Therefore, it will be very important for them not to concede a goal over the first 20 or 30 minutes and then try to exploit Real Madrid's transition defense with El Arabi's speed. However, if Real Madrid are able to score early in the game, it will be almost impossible for Caparrós' side to fight back and earn a draw without granting some chances for Real Madrid in the open field.
Luka Modric and Pepe remain questionable for Real Madrid, Carlo Ancelotti confirmed, even though they managed to make the team's list. As it stands, they could be replaced by Asier Illarramendi and Raphäel Varane respectively.
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TV Information: Canal+ Liga, GolT (Spain), BeIN Sports (USA), Sky Go (UK), Others.
Projected Lineup: Casillas, Carvajal, Varane, Ramos, Marcelo, Illarramendi, Kroos, Isco, James, Cristiano Ronaldo, Benzema.
Prediction: Granada 0-3 Real Madrid