Stats from previous Barça v Granada encounters
FC Barcelona host Granada on Thursday evening (7.00pm CEST), in a match which had to be postponed due to Barça's participation in the Copa del Rey final. It's an important game given that the Catalans will be outright leaders of LaLiga should they win.
Although the precedents against the Andalusian side are favourable, Barça go into the game with caution against an opponent who is eighth in the league and with options to qualify for the Europa League.
Unbeaten at home
Barça have played 24 home games against Granada in LaLiga and have won on each occasion. It's the most wins at home against the same opponent in the competition, with the last victory (1-0) coming in 2019/20 courtesy of a goal from Leo Messi.
The latest encounters
Regardless of whether the match has been home or away, if we look at the last 19 league games against Granada, Barça have won 17 and kept a clean sheet in 11. In the corresponding LaLiga match earlier this season, which is the most recent in the competition, the result was 0-4 thanks to a pair of braces from Griezmann and Messi.
Great comeback
On February 3, the Catalans enjoyed an epic comeback against Diego Martínez's men in the quarterfinals of the Copa del Rey, a match that was decided in extra time.
After Kenedy and Soldado had put Granada in a commanding position, Griezmann and Jordi Alba forced extra-time with three minutes to go. Both players scored again in the following 30 minutes, as did de Jong, ensuring qualification to the semifinals (3-5).
Leo Messi, always a threat
Leo Messi has been involved in 12 goals in six games against Granada at the Camp Nou, scoring 9 goals and providing three assists. Two hat-tricks are included, one in March 2012 (5-3) and another in January 2016 (4-0).
The opponent
Granada are currently eighth in the table, with 12 wins, 6 draws and 14 defeats. It's their second best all-time ranking at this point in the competition, only surpassed by their seventh place finish last season.
Roberto Soldado, with 9 goals, is the top scorer, whilst Antonio Puertas has given five assists in the league this season. Only two players have exceeded that figure in the same campaign with Granada in the top flight in the 21st century: Carlos Martins, in 2011/12, and Rubén Rochina, in 2015/16 (both with six).