Eibar vs Granada CF preview - Caparros: Eibar great for game

Posted Saturday, October 25, 2014 by PA

Granada coach Joaquin Caparros has praised Primera Division new boys Eibar for the impact they have had on football in Spain.

The Andalusians visit Eibar's tiny Ipurua stadium on Saturday looking to bring an end to a run of four straight league defeats, but Caparros knows Gaizka Garitano's side will not make things easy for them.

"Eibar have done Spanish football the world of good," the coach told a press conference.

"They were in the Segunda Division B (Spain's regionalised third tier) not long ago and now they are in the Primera Division, that says a lot about their sporting and financial management."

Caparros admitted his side go into the game "hurting" as a result of their dire run in recent weeks, but added: "We are very excited about the game but we hope that our excitement doesn't turn into nerves. This is a difficult game at a difficult ground, where our opponents are becoming strong.

"We have to be very attentive. the level of the opposition and the size of their pitch demands that. They are going to press us very hard and we have to stay focused from the start to the finish, it's going to be an even game and the smallest of margins could mean losing points."

Although Eibar have exceeded expectations by taking nine points so far in their debut season in the top flight, defender Eneko Boveda knows there are things his team could do better, and is also eyeing a first home win since beating Real Sociedad on the opening day of the season.

"We could improve on our defensive work, considering we've conceded six goals in our last two games," he told the club's official website.

"We are hoping to get the win so we can celebrate it with our fans."

The match will see Boveda reunited with Caparros, who handed him his first-team debut with Athletic Bilbao back in 2009, and the defender was full of praise for his old boss's outfit.

"I really like the Granada squad, they are a very good team," he said.

"Above all they are very strong physically and they have a very good, direct style of play, with a lot of fast players."

Eibar midfielder Jon Errasti misses the game due to a muscle problem sustained after the defeat to Barcelona last week, while Granada are without Luis Martins, Hector Yuste and Darwin Machis through injury.