Granada/Ceuta, December 6 (EFE).- Granada and Ceuta face their good streaks this Sunday in Nuevo los Carmenes, since the Andalusians arrived in the match after emerging from relegation with wins in the last round in Leon and the Mackerel after adding two successive victories.
The team led by José Rojo “Pacheta” is experiencing its best moments this season, as it has only lost one of its last 13 official matches, a consecutive series that culminated in victories over Cultural Leonesa (0-1) in the league and over Tenerife (0-1) to qualify for the next round of the cup.
Granada has climbed out of the relegation positions it has been in for several days and now aims to extend its good moments at home to gain a place in the quiet zone of the classification.
The only player missing from the match for Bacheta is Cameroonian midfielder Martin Hongla, a player who was not part of their plans in recent weeks and is injured.
Goalkeeper Ander Astralaga, now a league starter who missed Thursday’s match in Tenerife due to physical discomfort, will be available, while midfielder Pedro Alemany is a doubt, who was the other casualty in the cup after the match in Lyon was finished due to problems.
Granada will repeat the starting XI from the last league match against Ceuta, after using almost an entirely new XI in the Cup, with the only possibility being that Rubén Alcaraz will return to the same XI if Aleman is not a starter.
Ceuta arrives in Granada after linking these two successive victories, against Almeria (3-2) and Burgos (1-0), and its goal is to continue its positive streak in the Spanish League and increase the gap with the Andalusian team, which is five points away from it in the standings.
But the team coached by Sevilla coach Jose Juan Romero faces the match with disappointment that came after last Tuesday’s exit from the King’s Cup against a competitor in the Spanish League such as Guadalajara (1-0), which sparked the coach’s anger at the team’s behavior.
The squad is missing full-back Anwar due to suspension due to the accumulation of warnings, and Ivorian midfielder Basinga and defender Manu Sanchez, both due to muscle problems, while striker Salvi Sanchez returns to the squad, absent from the last two matches due to injury.
The match will be even more special for French midfielder Yann Budiger, who played for Granada in the 2022-2023 season, as did the pivotal Younes in its branch – Recreativo Granada – in the 21-22 and 22-23 seasons, although that will be in doubt due to some muscle discomfort.
The last time the Ceuta team – under the name Asociación Deportiva Ceuta – visited Nuevo Los Carmenes was on February 14, 2010, when the two teams were playing in Group D of the Second Division B and the score was 2-1 in favor of the Granadas, who recovered from defeat with the same result as the first round match in the Ceuta fiefdom.
FC Ceuta will be surrounded on the field by just over six hundred fans who have purchased their ticket for this match, taking advantage of the celebrations and the fact that it is one of the shortest trips they have made this campaign.
– Possible alignment:
Pomegranate: Astralaga; Oscar, Manu Lama, Loic Williams, Diallo; Sergio Ruiz, Ruben Alcaraz or Aleman, Alex Sola, Fay; Jose Arnaiz and Pascual.
Ceuta: Gil Vallejo; Lighthouse, Matos, Carlos Hernandez, Diego Gonzalez; Budiger, Rubén Diez, Cookie Zalazar; Conrad, Marcos Fernandez, and Essar.
Verdict: (To be announced).
Stadium: Nuevo Los Carmenes.
Time: 9:00 PM Effy
jag-rp/agr/jap