Pre-season preparations continue for Orlando Pirates as they make their way back to Malaga for a friendly match against Segunda División outfit Granada on Wednesday. There’s minimal rest between fixtures for the Soweto Giants as they lock horns with the men from Andalusia, who are their second Spanish opponent in the space of three days.
Match Overview
They return to Banús Football Centre on a high after registering a 2-0 victory over Sevilla at Ramon Cisneros Palacios on Monday, with Miguel Timm and Kabelo Dlamini providing the goals. It was their second outing in Spain, following Friday’s 2-2 draw against English Championship side Plymouth Argyle.
Still unbeaten on tour, they will be looking to add another Spanish scalp to their collection
with an eye on building winning momentum ahead of the upcoming season.They face a different challenge however against a side looking to chart their way back to the top flight after suffering relegation in the previous campaign.
Granada’s return to La Liga resulted in a short-lived tenure as they managed just four wins in their 38 matches to finish bottom of the standings. The Nazaries take to the field for the first time in their off-season and will relish the prospect of facing a Pirates side that is high in confidence after a successful outing.
Team News
Jose Riveiro shuffled his pack for Monday’s fixture, with Thuso Moleleki, Dimpho Madalane,
and Gilberto running out in Bucs colours for the first time while Timm and Dlamini each made their first appearance on tour. The trend will likely continue against Granada, with Patrick Maswanganyi and Selaelo Rasebotja among those who could return to action after they were unused subs against
Sevilla.
Meanwhile, striker Zakhele Lepasa could be set to feature alongside midfielder Katlelgo Otladisa, with both players among those yet to have a taste of on-field action. For Granada, former Real Madrid goalkeeper Luca Zidane could run out for his unofficial debut for the club after his transfer from Eibar.
The Frenchman is one of two new additions to the squad, along with former Spain youth international Pablo Insua, who has joined from Sporting Gijon.
