Granada vs Alaves Predictions & Match Preview

Granada vs Alaves predictions and match preview for Friday’s Segunda División fixture. Read on for analysis ahead of this showdown between two promotion hopefuls.

Granada vs Alaves Preview

Two sides who dropped out of the top flight earlier in 2022 meet on Friday night in the Segunda Division. Both Granada and Alaves are in the hunt for an immediate return to LaLiga and they’ll both be looking to come out on top here.

Granada were more fancied to bounce straight back but they’ve endured a surprisingly lacklustre season so far with only a few glimpses of their potential. They are only 8th heading into matchday 18 but they’d climb up to 4th with a win here such is the congested nature of the top half of Spain’s second tier.

Their slow start led to the sacking of Aitor Karanka in November with Paco Lopez taking charge. Since the former Levante boss took over at Los Carmenes, Granada have won one and lost one, largely in keeping with their inconsistent season to date. They haven’t struggled for consistency at home though with 6 wins and 2 draws from their 8 home outings including the 4-0 thrashing of Albacete in Lopez’s first game.

Alaves by contrast are just about the only team in this league that has been tough to beat at home and away with their last 8 games producing 4 wins and 4 draws. Luis Garcia is doing a really good job with this side and they have the opportunity to go 6 points clear at the top with a win here. Were they to get it, away to another of the promotion favourites, it would really underline their credentials as the team to beat in the second tier this term.

The gulf between them and Granada isn’t quite as great as the table might suggest though. They have both conceded just 12 goals while Alaves have only managed to score one more than Granada. However the defeats column is very telling with Granada on 6 as opposed to the Basque team’s 1.

Score Prediction: Granada 1-0 Alaves

This is a tough one to call with Granada boasting the best home record in the league while Alaves are the leaders. The Los Carmenes factor may just tilt this in Granada’s favour with Paco Lopez’s players also still likely to be hungry to make an impression in front of their new coach. They’ve conceded just once at home this season and will back themselves to shut what isn’t a free-scoring Alaves side out.

PLEASE NOTE – Our Segunda División predictions are not betting tips! No profits are guaranteed if you’re using them to bet on Spanish football. If you are gambling, do so responsibly and never stake more than you can afford to lose. BeGambleAware.