Granada top the table!
As another Matchday ticks by, La Liga continues to throw up surprises. Perhaps none bigger though than the club top of the table after ten games. At the end of last season, Granada achieved promotion by finishing as runnersup to Osasuna – more about the Pamplona club in a moment – albeit with a gap of seven points separating the two. Under the prompting of energetic young coach Diego Martínez though, who achieved that promotion in his first term with El Nazaríes, now with more than a quarter of the league fixtures now completed, the Andalusian club are top of the shop.
Martinez’s squad is almost bereft of star names, but he has welded his unit into a disciplined and organised team that play to their strengths and deny space and time to their opponents. Facing a struggling Real Betis team over the weekend, Granada delivered another typically gritty performance to eke out a single victory thanks to a neatly finished goal by Alvaro Vadillo just past the hour mark, after Carlos Fernandez had opened up the opportunity.
Whilst riightly acclaiming their exalted position though, the caveat should be recognised, that had El Clásico not fallen foul of the unrest in Barcelona, Granada may have had to make do with second place. Hmm, second place after ten games? I think Señor Martínez would have snapped their hand off at the start of the season, had someone offered him that position after Matchday 10. At Sunday’s final whistle, the explosion of celebration by the coach and his assistants, the playing squad and indeed the crowd at the Nuevo Los Cármenes, was like a Three Kings Day come early – and who can blame them! The coming week sees a double Matchday with Granada facing a visit to Getafe before entertaining Real Sociedad. A win and a draw may not be beyond them if they keep the kettle boiling, and the fairy tale alive a little longer. Surely, Granada will slip away as the season goes on, but Martínez is making an impressive name for himself. Will he be at Granada next year? Maybe not. If their form continues anything like the first ten games, it’s probably inevitable that bigger clubs, with larger budgets will be casting covetous eyes in his direction.
Up in Navarre, 2018–19 Segunda División champions, Osasuna are also delivering impressive performances. Up to eighth in their first term back in the big time, they’ve only suffered two defeats so far; one each to Real Madrid and, of course, La Liga’s new titans, Granada! If Martínez’s side hadn’t been performing miracles, Osasuna would surely be one of the stories of the season so far. Another win over the weekend, overcoming Valencia 3-1 after going a goal down, took their unbeaten home run to an impressive 30 games. Jagoba Arrasate, another one of La Liga’s crop of bright young coaches has his team delivering an all action style, with a stampede of virility and desire. Highly fitting, I guess, for a club whose Basque name translates as ‘Health’. Their double Matchday fixtures, involve a home game against Alavés, which shouldn’t imperil that undefeated run over much. Before that though, they visit the third promoted club Real Mallorca.
Mallorca achieved promotion via the traumatic and testing play-offs, and Los Bermellones are faring the least well of the teams that escaped the Segunda last term. They have however, probably the most impressive single result, having tumbled Los Blancos a couple of weeks ago. As predicted last week though – via the crystal ball observations of Mystic Gary - football’s capricious nature can be harsh. Bottom club Leganés delivered on my brave prediction, chiselling out an invaluable first win of the season over Mallorca. Luis Cembranos, promoted to caretaker manager from his position heading the club’s B team, after Mauricio Pellegrino’s time was up, will doubtless relish the early success. With their next fixture away to Real Madrid, it’s doubtful any corner has been turned just yet though, and Espanyol’s win at Levante kept Los Pepineros anchored to the foot of the table.
Real Betis are the other side in the drop zone, and they continue to struggle, having conceded 20 goals in the ten games so far – five more than any other club - and never managed a single effort on goal in their defeat to Granada. Dispirited fans of Los Verdiblancos appear to have chosen the board, rather than coach Rubi as the target for their dissatisfaction, but any thoughts that such choice will protect the coach may well be misguided. Boards under pressure tend to look for a scapegoat. Watch this space.
After Granada, the next half-dozen clubs are covered by a mere two points. So, with six available from the double Matchdays, things could get shaken up a bit. Los Blancos have successive home fixtures against Leganés and then Real Betis and, given the above and their workmanlike win in Turkey, a six-point haul looks on the cards for Zidane’s team. Barça will look to match that as they entertain Real Valladolid and then make the short journey to Levante.
Before visiting Granada, La Real have a home game against Levante. Atléti, stingily conceding a mere five league goals so far, have a bit of travelling to do. First, they head north to Alavés and then journey down to Andalusia to face Sevilla. Lopategui’s team go to Valencia ahead of El Cholo’s visit to the Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán. Two single goal victories for Los Colchoneros to help Simeone sleep better, anyone?
After my success in calling Leganés to win their first game in ten outings last week, I’m a bit flushed with success,
and think we may see something similar in Matchday 11. Betis are struggling, but Celta Vigo are hardly riding the crest of a wave of scintillating form themselves, and sit just one place above Rubi’s team. The much-travelled coach, now at the thirteenth club in a coaching career that only began in 2001, undoubtedly needs a win if he is to disperse the vultures that will be circling spying another potential sacking. I think he might just get it up in Galicia. That is, of course, if he isn’t gone before the game comes around. Vigo lost at home to La Real in Matchday 10, and have only scored four times in their six league games at the AbancaBalaídos this season. If Betis are going to conjure up an important win from somewhere, this might be it. A single goal win for the visitors could be the outcome. Alternatively, I may just be pushing my luck, a bit. Let’s see, shall we?
Hasta luego!