Granada vs Elche preview - Roberto targets Elche win

Posted Friday, March 21, 2014 by PA

Granada goalkeeper Roberto has urged his team to beat Elche on Saturday and ensure they are not playing for survival in the final few weeks of the season.

A thrilling 3-3 draw at Getafe took Lucas Alcaraz's side five points above the relegation zone and a win at home to fellow strugglers Elche, who are just one point and one place behind them in the Primera Division table, could give Granada an eight-point cushion over the bottom three.

"You could certainly say this is a huge game and that it could even be as important as a final, because if we win this game perhaps we won't have to play our final two games as if they were finals," Roberto told reporters.

"We all need to stick together, we have to win this game."

Granada came from behind three times to draw with Getafe, and Roberto hopes the team can make all the effort worth it by beating Elche.

"Everyone in the team made a tremendous sacrifice," he said of the Getafe match.

"We got a point, we have to move on now and focus on Saturday's game, in which we can really make that point worth it by getting three more points, which would be vital for us."

However, Granada's task has been made harder by the absence of midfielder Manuel Iturra, suspended after getting sent off against Getafe, while the Andalusians will also be without defender Tiago Ilori and forward Piti, both still recovering from muscular injuries.

Roberto said: "Ideally all the players would be at 100 per cent so the coach could choose whoever he wanted to play, but this is top-level football and every team has players out.

"We've got some players in the squad who have not played very much but they're doing a fantastic job."

Elche also have players out, with centre-back Alberto Botia and midfielder Ruben Perez suspended, meaning young English defender Charlie I'Anson has been named in the squad.