Saturday, August 16, Granada and Deportivo La Coruna will make their season debut facing each other in the Matchday 1 clash of the LaLiga 2. The home side starts the season aiming to qualify for the promotion playoffs, a goal that slipped away last year by just a handful of points. To succeed, Pacheta’s men will need to improve on their 7th-place finish in the 2024/25 season, starting strong and avoiding dropping too many points throughout the long and demanding LaLiga 2 campaign. The first obstacle for the Rojiblancos is, at least on paper, quite manageable. Deportivo La Coruna, one of the great fallen giants of Spanish football, arrive at the Nuevo Estadio Los Cármenes. After consistently representing Spain in European competitions between the late 1990s and early 2000s, Depor suffered a slow decline in recent years, culminating in relegation to the Spanish third tier in 2020. Having returned to LaLiga 2 in the summer of 2024, the Blue and Whites finished last season in 15th place, avoiding relegation without too much trouble. Under new coach Antonio Hidalgo, the objective remains to stay in the division while laying the foundations for more ambitious goals in the coming years. Debuting away to a promotion-chasing team, on a tough ground like the Nuevo Estadio Los Cármenes, will undoubtedly be a big first test for the former Huesca coach and his squad.

Granada's Form and Key Stats

Granada disappointed during preseason, failing to win any of their friendlies between July and early August. In their last test, on August 9, they lost 3-0 to UAE side Al-Ain, a team that took part in the most recent FIFA Club World Cup.

The 7th-best team of LaLiga 2 2024/25, Granada had the 4th-best attack last season, scoring 65 goals for an average of 1.5 goals per match. Their defense, however, was less convincing, conceding an average of 1.3 goals per game. Despite this, the Rojiblancos kept 12 clean sheets in 42 rounds.

Deportivo La Coruna's Form and Key Stats

Deportivo La Coruna enjoyed a solid preseason, highlighted by back-to-back wins: 2-1 over Real Oviedo and 2-0 against French side Le Havre. Among the standout players this summer was Dutch striker Zakaria Eddahchouri, who netted 5 goals in six friendlies.

Last season, Deportivo conceded the same number of goals as Granada, 54 in 42 games, keeping 11 clean sheets. The difference in points came from their offensive output: 56 total goals, averaging 1.3 per match. Not surprisingly, the club strengthened their attack with the addition of promising right winger Luismi Cruz from Tenerife.

Granada vs Deportivo La Coruna Predicton and tactical overview

According to BetMines, the prediction for Granada vs Deportivo La Coruna leans towards a clear home win, thanks to the home advantage and a favorable recent head-to-head record.

Granada boasts an excellent home trend: they have lost just one of their last 15 matches at the Nuevo Estadio Los Cármenes, winning 8 and drawing 5. In contrast, Deportivo La Coruna ended last season losing all of their final three LaLiga 2 away matches.

Head-to-head clashes between these sides in Granada have often been low-scoring, with fewer than three total goals in five of the last six meetings. Given the defensive solidity of both teams, it’s reasonable to expect another Under 2.5 goals match.

• Granada vs Deportivo La Coruna Prediction by BetMines: Granada win (1) with a 50% probability
  
  
• Granada vs Deportivo La Coruna Prediction by BetMines: Under 2.5 goals with a 52% probability

Probable lineups Granada vs Deportivo La Coruna

GRANADA (4-3-3): Zidane; Oppong, Lama, Williams, Casadesus; Ruiz, Trigueros, Stoichkov; Saenz, Pascual, Faye. Coach: Pacheta

DEPORTIVO LA CORUNA (4-2-3-1): Parreno; Loureiro, Comas, Barcia, Escudero; Gragera, Villares; Luismi Cruz, Soriano, Hernandez; Eddahchouri. Coach: Antonio Hidalgo