Barcelona can be beaten in 90 minutes, says former midfielder ahead of Granada clash

Former Barcelona midfielder and current Granada star Gerard Gumbau is set to go head-to-head with the Blaugrana tonight. Ahead of the much-awaited clash, the 28-year-old has said that although Xavi’s men are tough to crack, they can be beaten in 90 minutes.

Not an ideal start for Granada

Granada, who were promoted to La Liga this season, haven’t had the best of starts, winning only one of the eight games they have played this season.

Despite the evident difficulties, Gumbau has maintained his unassailable presence in the heart of the team, not missing a single encounter. 

So as he prepares to take on his former club, he believes that this game could be the best opportunity to get back to winnings ways.

“It has not been the start we wanted. We have deserved more points in many games, but that’s football,” the 28-year-old was quoted by AS. 

“We have to correct those details, be a more compact team defensively, and from there grow as a team. And what better game than against Barcelona to do it.”

Barcelona are tough but not unbeatable

It must be remembered that Gumbau spent three years with Barcelona, spanning between 2014 and 2016. During this time, he was largely used for the youth team but did make eight first-team appearances.

So when asked asked Xavi, he had nothing but admiration. “I was able to train with him [Xavi] when I was at Barça B. He is a legend for Barça and he does a good job as a coach,” he revealed.

The 28-year-old also said that if used the right tactic, Granada could beat Barcelona in 90 minutes.

“It is difficult to beat Barcelona, ​​they lose few games every season. Xavi has a very marked style of dominating, they submit you a lot, but you can beat them because in 90 minutes you can beat anyone. 

“With ambition, quality, defensive work, and going on the counterattack while being very precise, I think we have chances. It’s football and anything can happen,” he explained.

Lastly, he also said that having the home support will be an added bonus against a team like Barcelona.

“At home, you have that plus of the fans, which makes you run an extra kilometer, and defend better. I hope it is a determining factor,” he added.