At 1:30 a.m. Beijing time on January 9, the 20th round of La Liga will usher in a key battle, Barca away to Granada. After two consecutive wins in 2022, Xavi hopes to continue the winning streak, a battle that is crucial for Barca. Currently, Barca are 5th in La Liga and Xavi is expected to lead Barca into the top 4 in La Liga. However, in the face of the bitter owner Granada, Xavi's challenges are not small, but the Barca manager is still full of confidence.
Barca got off to a good start in 2022, with the Red and Blue beating Mallorca 1-0 in La Liga and then 2-1 in the Copa del Rey. Currently, Barca are 5th in La Liga, just one point away from the top 4, and the Copa del Rey has also reached the round of 16. Before the Super Cup against Real Madrid, Barca also faced a challenge from Granada, which had caused Barca two times.
In the second leg of last season, Barca lost 1-2 at home to Granada, and the impressive record of 25 consecutive wins came to an abrupt end, and Granada shattered the record of 90 years of away wins over Barca in the history of the team. Then came the first leg of the season, when Barca were forced to draw 1-1 by Granada and regrettably conceded two points. It is worth noting that Granada is expected to complete 3 games for the first time without losing to Barca.
Of course, Barca still have a good historical record against Granada. The two sides have met in the past 12 times, and Barca have won 8, drawn 1 and lost 3, occupying an absolute advantage. During this period, Barca have won four big-point wins, 6-0, 2 4-0 and 4-1. It is also a true reaction this season, and Barca's recent performance against Granada has not been ideal. Obviously, Xavi wants to lead Barca out of the way, and it is not easy.
Perhaps with good results in the New Year and the return of Barca players, Xavi is also full of confidence in this game. At the pre-match press conference, Xavi said that he would lead Barca to three points and wash away the shame. In addition, Xavi also said that Barca is the second team after Bayern, and the next Super Cup will beat Real Madrid to win the title. Such remarks naturally caused a lot of criticism, after all, Barca's performance this season fans are in the eyes, not Xavi can reverse the situation with one word.
La Liga is a key match for 4, and the match between Barca and Granada is bound to attract a lot of attention. For Harvey, it's a game you can't afford to lose because it means Champions League qualification and all-time honours. Once lost, Barca will create two major humiliations: First, Barca have not won three consecutive times over Granada. Second, Xavi broke the record for total wins against Granada (all 5 wins during the player period).
In this campaign, Barca had to be careful of Granada's long-range shots, scoring the most goals from outside the penalty area. As for whether he can beat Real Madrid, that is what happens after that, Xavi has to cross the threshold of Granada first.