The Sultan, the Marinid Abu Yusuf Yaqub ibn Abd Al-Haqq, landed on the Iberian Peninsula in 1275 with an army and began a campaign with the strategic objective to occupy the city of Tarifa.

The Castilian King, Alfonso X of Castile was abroad at the time and the country was ruled by his son, infante Ferdinand acting as regent.

Ferdinand's death at a crucial time of invasion not only opened the question of succession but also left the defence of the realm in disarray.

[4] Abu Yusuf persuaded the king of Granada and the Banu Ashqilula to put aside their differences and join war against "the polytheists", upon which the Marinids then ravaged Guadalquivir valley while the Granadan forces pillaged the kingdom of Jaen.

[6] The Marinid forces routed the Castilian army and Nuño González de Lara was killed in the action or shortly thereafter.