Granada’s amazing rise from promotion to La Liga and Copa contenders
Granada CF’s fast, historic rise to the top of Spanish soccer has turned them into a must-watch contender.
Through 25 games in the 2019-20 La Liga season, including last Sunday’s complete obliteration of rivals Osasuna 3-0 putting them on a whopping 36 points, the surprising ascent of Granada C.F has created huge waves in Spain and beyond.
Additionally, their incredible journey through Copa del Rey has seen the Andalusian squad became one of the most endearing underdog stories in recent memory, honoring their old nickname of Matagigantes (giant killers) as they have outpaced big-market team Valencia in the quarterfinals and destroyed the lower-tier sides in the earlier stages.
The young Granada side, which just returned to the first division this season and actually spent the beginning of the 21st Century in the fourth level of Spanish soccer, are putting up historic numbers as they’ve climbed to ninth in La Liga.
In 25 league matches, they’ve accumulated 11 wins and 2 draws, setting themselves only 4 points away from the European places. In their 89-year history, and only 23 seasons in the top flight, they have never reached the continental stage, and certainly not with such a winning rhythm. The last time they’ve been this competitive was during the 1957-58 season, where they obtained 10 victories in their first 25 games. This is also the first time since 1974 that they’re firmly positioned in the top ten of the standings.
In the Copa del Rey, this is only their third semifinal run in club history. Granada’s best ever was during the 1958-59 season, in which they reached the final, also by beating Valencia, but then fell to superpower Barcelona 4-1 in the cup-defining confrontation. Ten years later, they reached the semifinals once more, only to be defeated by Athletic Bilbao, who ended up taking their 21st trophy that year.
It is none other than the Basque squad that Granada have to battle in their return to the semifinals this year. Even with a 1-0 disadvantage after a nail-biting first leg showdown at San Mames, the newcomers have a fierce, deeply competitive team that is not only used to facing adversity, but have a quick-paced style that always makes them competitive.
The Nasrids owe their 2019-20 rise to two main factors: First, the recent purchase of the team by Chinese visionary Jian Lizhang has allowed them to make heavy, but especially smart, investments in squad development and player acquisition. They recently got French veteran Maxime Gonalons on loan from Roma, and the 2019 signing of fresh young talent, from Cameroonian midfielder Yan Eteki to Venezuelan striker Darwin Machis, have fit their strategy wonderfully, adding more depth, and especially speed, to their playmaking.
The other main ingredient to their success is, of course, coach Diego Martinez’s brilliant direction. He plays with a usual 4-2-3-1 formation, but this can quickly turn into a 4-4-2, a 4-3-3 even a 5-3-2 depending on the situations, as his main focus is on relentless pressing and fierce, physical ball recovery, making Granada a total pain to attack.
When it’s their turn to strike, Granada rely on a precise, direct counterattack, mostly based around the speed of forwards Roberto Soldado and new addition Carlos Fernandez.
But above all, Martinez’s main accomplishment is the spirit of the team, creating a resilient mentality and a culture of intense discipline among the players. This is a highly motivated squad, and that shows on the pitch, the whole 90 minutes.
Without a doubt, Granada is one of this year’s revelations in La Liga, and their stellar Copa del Rey run has given the Spanish soccer world a lot to talk about. We’re witnessing the rise of a true contender, and their exciting playing style and attitude make them quite fun to watch. Seeing where they take it from here will be one of the best stories to watch over the season’s final months.
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Leg two of the Copa del Rey semifinals kicks off on March 5th, 3 p.m. ET as Athletic Club faces Granada C.F in Estadio Nuevo Los Carmenes, Granada.