Real Madrid, led by Carlo Ancelotti, sealed top spot in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday night with a 4-2 win over Italian giants Napoli at the Bernabeu, sending them headfirst into the knockout stage of the tournament. Meanwhile, Real Madrid have also won their last two La Liga matches in a row, beating Valencia 5-1 and then overcoming Cadiz 3-0, results that have allowed them to regain the top spot in the table after Girona were held to a 1-1 draw against Athletic Bilbao.
Real Madrid currently have the same number of points as Girona (35), but hold the top spot with a mutual record advantage thanks to their previous 3-0 victory in the rivalry between the two sides. Meanwhile, Carlo Ancelotti's side have four points more than third-placed Atletico Madrid and fourth-placed Barcelona.
While Real Madrid haven't always been able to show a fluid b**ch this season, they are the second highest scoring team in the league with 31 goals, and their defensive record is even better, conceding just nine goals, a remarkable achievement considering the team's injury problems.
Real Madrid will face Granada, Real Betis, Villarreal and Alaves in their final four league matches in 2024, as well as taking on Union Berlin in their final Champions League group game on December 12, but given their performances in Europe this season, Ancelotti will be able to rotate his squad significantly for the Germany game.
On the other side, Granada's performance this season has not been as good as they would have liked, as they are currently 19th in the table, with only one win, four draws and nine defeats, and only seven points. Despite returning to the Spanish top flight as La Liga B champions last season, they are now at risk of being relegated again.
Granada have a new manager, with Alexander Medina replacing Paco Lopez, who was sacked after his side's 3-1 loss to Alaves last weekend.Medina, 45, who has been without a coaching job since leaving Vélez Sarsfield in February, now accepts his first European head coaching job, and his first assignment will undoubtedly be a tough one.
