Granada CF vs Eibar preview - Garitano tells Eibar not to panic

Eibar coach Gaizka Garitano has urged his players to not panic when they visit fellow strugglers Granada, despite the fact his side have lost their last eight matches.

Although the Basque side have not picked up a single point since 16 January and have slipped to within five points of the relegation zone, Garitano called on his players to use their heads rather than their hearts against Granada, who are second bottom in the Primera Division and three points from safety.

He told a press conference: "We can't play these crucial games with anxiety, we knew at the start of the season that these games would come around, that we would have to play matches that are like cup finals with survival at stake."

The coach was pleased with his side's performance against Barcelona last week even though Lionel Messi's double meant they lost the game 2-0, and believes his side are not far away from ending their hapless run.

"The team have always competed well and we are not far from playing at our best. Even though we perhaps need freshening up in attack, we still have our identity," he said.

The one thing in Eibar's favour is the fact they made such a strong start to their first-ever term in the top flight, picking up 27 points in the first half of the season, meaning they are still in a relatively strong position in the table compared to some of their direct rivals.

"We would all have signed up to having 27 points at this stage," said the coach.

"We haven't been able to sustain that great start to the season but we have to get some good results from our next games, as that would take us away from the dark part of the league table. We have to get beyond these 27 points which we are stuck on at the moment."

Garitano's only absentee for the game is defender Borja Ekiza, who is suspended after picking up a fifth yellow card, while his opposite number Abel Resino has a full squad to choose from.

Granada are in a more precarious situation than Eibar, particularly after their defeat at Rayo Vallecano last week, but Resino called on his side to be brave on Saturday in search of a win that would take them out of the bottom three.

"We have to be brave and really go for it, we have to take the initiative and keep looking towards our opponents' goal," he told a press conference.

"It will be a difficult game for both of us because they are on a very negative run and we don't have any margin for error. We are obliged to give everything for the sake of the team."