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Djurgården failed, neither Hammarby nor IFK Gothenburg. When the final round of the Europa League qualifying round, the play-off round, is decided, only one Swedish team remains that has a chance to participate in the group stage this autumn.
Malmö FF.
At 7:00 p.m. in the Stadium, just over two hours later, we know if it will be the MFF or Granada who will pinch the square for the group match this fall.
Granada yes, or Granada Club del Fútbol, if the full name is included. What kind of team will MFF face on Thursday?
The club was founded in 1931 and has been in the top Spanish category for 25 seasons. However, the club returned to La Liga in the 2018/19 season, when they finished second in the Second Division. Back in the great hall, Granada last year stood out for a good performance and finished in seventh place in La Liga, a position that meant qualification for the Europa League.
Since 2016, the main shareholder of the club is the Chinese company Desport, owned by Jiang Lizhang.
– It is a respectable group dedicated to sports marketing. When they took over the club in 2016, they promised that the team would qualify for the European tournaments and now they are closer than ever, Fabían Leyva, a journalist for the Granada Hoy newspaper, tells Fotbollskanalen.
Because in Europe they had never played before. The main merits of Granada are a final in the 1958/59 Copa del Rey season (defeat 1-4 against Barcelona) and a semifinal in the same National Cup at the end of last year (then against Athletic Bilbao). In the league? They then finished in the best sixth place, twice.
– The fans are now experiencing the best years in the club’s history. Granada and its fans have always suffered and fought for relegation. The whole city is very excited about what is happening now, Leyva says.
– Granada is a team characterized by its defensive solidity. Since Diego Martínez (coach) took office, the team has only conceded three goals or more on two occasions. They are a very, very tactically skilled team.
And Martínez, who is only 39 years old, chooses Leyva to stand out a little more.
– He’s the real star of the team. It is by far the most important part of Granada. He joined the team when they were in the Second Division and in two years he has led the club to La Liga, led the team to a semifinal in the Copa del Rey and now has managed to lead the team to a decision in the qualifying phase of Europe League. He is the one who means the most.
Perhaps the most consolidated name of Granada, in regards to the players of that time, must continue to be Roberto Soldado. The Spanish forward joined his current club last summer, then from Fenerbahce. Sure, he’s turned 35, but he’s a different scorer who has scored goals in all the places he’s played. Most of the hits occurred over the years in Getafe and Valencia.
– Soldier is fundamental in Martínez’s game. His way of working in the press game and his performance as captain are crucial for Granada. The season has also started in a very good way, says Leyva.
More then? There are more players MFF should keep an eye out for, Leyva says.
– Rui Silva (goalkeeper), Domingos Duarte (defense), Yangel Herrera (midfielder) and Darwin Machís (forward) are the protagonists of the team. Granada is a team that feels very comfortable when it is 0-0 and when it is ahead. However, they tend to get into trouble as soon as the opponents are in the lead. The central game in midfield is also something that needs to be improved. In addition, Malmö should take the opportunity to hit balls behind Germán Sánchez (defense), those balls usually reach the team.
There is no shortage of important players for the meeting with MFF, according to Leyva. However, several of the team’s key players rested in this weekend’s league game, which Granada codified with a 6-1 away game against Atlético de Madrid.
After the meeting with Altético, Granada also issued a statement addressed to its main sponsor Winamax Deportes, who after the great defeat mocked the LaLiga club with an image of a penis.
– His manager (of Winamax Deportes) always expresses himself on the edge of what can be called humor. This weekend they illustrated this image to show how well João Félix did in the match. But the fans were very, very upset and the club immediately apologized for the tweet. But there is nothing more to say about it at the moment, other than that Granada does not appreciate it at all.
Probable starting eleven of Granada: Rui Silva – Víctor Díaz, Domingos Duarte, Germán Sánchez, Carlos Neva – Ángel Montoro – Antonio Puertas / Kenedy, Yangel Herrera, Luis Milla, Darwin Machís – Roberto Soldado
