La Liga Preview: Granada to crash on road to Madrid

Leo Messi has hit the target in 11/12 recent starts

Real Madrid have trousered the Spanish season's first trophy and Jose Mourinho must now think about winning a league game or two. Tobias Gourlay expects his team to be full of ideas about how to do it on Sunday

Real Madrid v Granada
Sunday 18:50 (Live on Sky Sports 1)
Real 1.111/9 Granada 34.033/1 draw 12.011/1

Their worst league start since 2001.

Cristiano Ronaldo goalless in back-to-back games for the first time this year.

Boy, did Real Madrid need the Super Cup on Wednesday night.

It's a small-time competition, but for the first time in four games this season Jose Mourinho's team held on to win a match in which they had taken the lead. And it was Barcelona they beat.

After slipping five points behind their rivals in just two matchdays - by way of comparison, Real dropped only 14 points in 38 games last season - the Blancos are up and running.

Gonzalo Higuain has scored in each of the three matches he's started this term, but Mourinho might feel it's Karim Benzema's turn to have a go against Granada, who have lost 8/10 on the road since the start of February.

Whoever starts upfront, it's Ronaldo who is overdue. As well as uncovering all of the stats we've already used, Opta has dug deep to report that so far this season the Portuguese has had more shots without scoring than anyone else in La Liga.

Juan Antonio Anquela's reign at Granada started with defeat at Real Valladolid, so it will be the memory an older success that he will summon this weekend. In 2009 his third-tier Alcorcon side beat Real 4-1 over two legs of the Copa del Rey.

But it won't be Jerzy Dudek in goal this time and Real might easily reverse the result. The champions have scored four or more in 12/20 at the Bernabeu since the start of the last campaign, while Granada crashed badly on the road to the Big Two last season, conceding five to each of them.

In the Correct Score market, Any Unquoted pays out if either side hits four and is on offer at 2.26/5 this weekend.

Barcelona v Valencia
Sunday 20:30 (Live on Sky Sports 1)
Barcelona 1.241/4 Valencia 15.5n/a draw 7.06/1

Valencia held Real Madrid to a 1-1 draw in the opening round of matches. Jonas scored with los Che's only shot on target that day, but Mauricio Pellegrino's men might be granted more opportunities at the Camp Nou.

A face mask will protect Carles Puyol's fractured cheekbone if he plays, but it won't hide his age. Barca's 34-year-old captain is probably on the wane, and it's definitely true that Javier Mascherano isn't a centre-back. He's a 5'8" peg in a 6'2" hole. The team is vulnerable to set-plays into the box and Victor Valdes, who is struggling with his own game, is yet to keep a clean sheet in four matches so far this season.

The home side shouldn't have any trouble finding the onion bag themselves. Leo Messi has locked onto the back of the net in 11 of his last 12 games for club and country. He scored four times in this fixture last season and you'll be very lucky to get 1.51/2 about him troubling the scorer on Sunday evening.

Pellegrino must do without Ricardo Costa in defence and possibly Fernando Gago in midfield. Even with those two in the starting lineup, Valencia conceded three to Deportivo La Coruna last weekend and have not adequately replaced Mehmet Topal, who provided serious defensive ballast in midfield last season.

If you fancy Barca - they have won this fixture five times in a row by a total score of 20-2 - take the 1.758/11 about them to be ahead at half-time and full-time. The Blaugrana have led after 45 minutes of each of their last 20 home victories.

If you don't like those odds, both teams to score is 1.9520/21.

Best Bet
Back Both Teams to Score @ 1.9520/21 in Barcelona v Valencia