How much do you know about Granada?

Friday 19 March 2021 13:20

Manchester United have been drawn to play La Liga outfit Granada in the quarter-finals of the 2020/21 UEFA Europa League.

The Reds will face the Spanish side over two legs on 8 and 15 April and the winner will go on to face Ajax or Roma in the last four.

But how much do you know about our quarter-final opponents? Here’s a comprehensive guide...

A BRIEF HISTORY


Formed in 1931, the Andalusian club have mainly operated in the lower tiers of Spanish football. In fact, their promotion to the top flight in 2011 ended a 35-year absence from La Liga. Los Nazaries were relegated again, under the stewardship of former Arsenal defender Tony Adams, in 2017 but returned to the top division two years later, and finished seventh last season to secure a historic place in the Europa League.
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HAVE WE FACED THEM BEFORE?

In short, no. We have played 10 different Spanish sides in the past, but Granada are not among them. This will be the first time that Los Nazaries have come up against an English opponent, with the side enjoying their maiden European campaign.

RUN TO THE QUARTERS


Granada’s Europa League campaign began in September when they progressed to the group stages after wins over Teuta, Locomotive Tbilisi and Malmo in the qualifiers. The Spanish side then finished second in a group containing PSV Eindhoven, PAOK and Omonia to move on to the knockout rounds. They produced one of the shocks of the last-32 stage to eliminate Napoli over two legs, with Angel Montoro’s goal in Naples seeing them qualify for the last 16. There, Granada beat Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s former side Molde 3-2 on aggregate, with a solitary away goal in the second leg once again proving key in settling the tie.
SEASON SO FAR

It’s been another impressive campaign for the Andalusians, who currently sit eighth in the table, having picked up 36 points from 27 games. Los Nazaries have beaten the likes of Athletic Bilbao, Sevilla and Valencia this term, and are very much in the hunt for a Europa League spot in next season’s competition. However, Granada did crash out of the Copa del Rey to Barcelona in February in remarkable fashion. Having led 2-0 with just a few minutes left, they ended up losing 5-3 on the night, after extra-time.
Thirty-five year-old Roberto Soldado has scored 10 goals in all competitions this season.
FAMILIAR FACES

Premier League fans may recognise Roberto Soldado's name when they take a look at Granada's squad. The veteran striker spent two years at Tottenham Hotspur and is a household name in European football, scoring over 250 goals over nearly two decades. The Spaniards also have three players on loan from English sides: Kenedy, who scored against United once when playing for Newcastle United, is on loan from Chelsea. Meanwhile, Domingos Quina’s parent club are Watford and Venezuelan Yangel Herrera is enjoying a short-term spell in Andalusia for the second year in a row, on loan from Manchester City. The team are managed by Diego Martinez; the 40-year has also taken charge of Osasuna and was assistant coach at Sevilla between 2012 and 2014.

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