Victory is already smiling upon Real Madrid, but the season has not yet come to an end. While Los Blancos may have secured their La Liga title, a few games remain in the Spanish top flight. For Real Madrid, their next opponents come in the form of Granada, and Carlo Ancelotti’s men will have to be the visitors this time.
Without a doubt, the primary focus of Real Madrid now remains the UEFA Champions League final. Los Merengues have their sights set on Wembley and the upcoming threat of Borussia Dortmund, and despite there still being some time from now before the two teams collide, Real Madrid will not want to take added risks.
Aurelien Tchouameni has already suffered a foot injury and with his participation in the final still not being a guarantee, Real Madrid will not want to lose their key players ahead of that all-important final. Thus, for the game against Granada, Ancelotti could opt for a more rotational eleven rather than a gala eleven.
In terms of form, there is little to no doubt as to which side the scales lean towards. Real Madrid have four victories and one draw from their last five outings across all competitions, with two of them being victories over FC Barcelona as well as German giants Bayern Munich.
This momentum has been showcased all season by the Royal Whites, and with two losses suffered across all competitions, it would seem that Ancelotti’s side can do no wrong.
However, this would also present the perfect opportunity to test out some feet that do not get too much playing time, so the result may not exactly be as dominant or convincing, yet never say never when the 14-time UCL champions are involved.
On the other side of things, Granada have shown some fight recently as they battle to avoid relegation. In their last five games, they have managed two convincing victories over Alaves and Osasuna, showcasing that they will likely not go down without a fight, something they also showed in their 1-1 draw with Athletic Club recently.
For 19th-placed Granada, this game could serve as a lifeline. For Real Madrid, however, it serves as a testing ground to give minutes to more untested players. Regardless of the outcome, the real challenge for Real Madrid now is to keep their star players safe and healthy for the upcoming UCL final in June.