Abel Resino's Granada players face a tough task when they travel to El Madrigal on Saturday in order to face an in-form Villarreal side.
"We will not think further than our next game"
- Marcelino
Villarreal come into this game less than a week after their thrilling 3-2 loss against Barcelona in La Liga - which ended their record-breaking unbeaten run of 18 games in all competitions - and a Copa del Ray semi-final against the Spanish giants is just around the corner. Boss Marcelino, however, has demaned that his side look no further than Saturday's game against Granada "Our next game is against Granada, and we aren't going to think about anything beyond that," he said.
"We will speak about Barcelona after Saturday, but all I can say is that we are feeling very optimistic and ambitious at the moment. Those two virtues are helping us maintain this excellent run of results we've had this season, and we are in very good shape to take on Granada," he continued.
Villarreal are having a superb season and occupy the final European spot in the table. Against Granada, who sit eighteenth, and at home in the fortress that is El Madrigal, Marcelino's side will expect to pocket all three points as they look to perhaps bigger games ahead.
Villarreal should be wary of Granada, however, as new coach Resino has taken four points from his first two games in charge of the club, who lie eighteenth in the Primera Division table on 18 points.
After a 2-2 draw with Deportivo La Coruna and a 1-0 win over Elche, spirits are high in the Granada camp, and they will go to El Madrigal with everything to play for and nothing to lose. Resino knows his side are in a scrap amongst the relegation places and every point will count in the race for survival. Sadly for Granada fans, it may be that Villarreal prove just too strong for the underdogs.
