Copa del Rey: Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid Live
Preview
Eight days after a high-scoring match in the Supercopa de Espana, Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid, who are rivals in the Madrid derby, will meet again in Spain for a Copa del Rey last-16 match on Thursday. Carlo Ancelotti’s team emerged victorious with a 5-3 win over their close rivals in Riyadh, and now Real Madrid will continue to defend another one of their earned knockout titles.
Chaos reigned when local rivals Atletico and Real faced off in last Wednesday’s Supercopa de Espana semi-final, with an extra 30 minutes needed to determine the winner after a thrilling six-goal match in the initial 90 minutes. The game saw two more goals in extra time, but unfortunately for Atletico, they were scored at their own end, resulting in a Stefan Savic own goal and a goal by Brahim Diaz. This meant that Atletico’s trip to Saudi Arabia ended in disappointment.
Failing to win the latest Madrid derby marks Atletico’s third consecutive unsuccessful Supercopa de Espana campaign. However, they can still hold onto hope for success in the Copa del Rey, at least for the next 48 hours. Before heading to the Middle East, Atletico struggled to secure a 3-1 victory over third-tier Lugos in the last 32 of Spain’s top cup competition, with Memphis Depay scoring two goals in the second half after a goalless first half. This win is one of only two victories for Atletico in their last six matches during a difficult winter period.
A few days after delivering an outstanding performance against Atletico in the Supercopa semi-final, Real Madrid prepared for another highly anticipated derby to determine the trophy winner. However, Barcelona did not offer much resistance in El Clasico. Vinicius Junior scored twice by taking advantage of Barcelona’s high defensive line, and despite Robert Lewandowski’s powerful goal for Barcelona, Vinicius completed a hat-trick from a penalty kick. Rodrygo and Ronald Araujo’s dismissal further sealed the game for Real Madrid. With their 13th Supercopa title secured, Real Madrid now focus on defending their Copa del Rey honor, starting with a 3-1 victory against Arandina. Under Carlo Ancelotti’s leadership, Real Madrid has achieved seven consecutive wins and remains unbeaten in 21 competitive games.
Head-to-Head
The teams now have one victory each in their direct confrontations this season, with Atletico Madrid securing a 3-1 win in the league match in September last year.
Prediction
Although Atletico’s recent performance overall has been unimpressive, they have an impressive record of 25 unbeaten games at the Metropolitano Stadium, winning 11 of their last 12 matches at the venue without a loss for over a year. With Simeone’s team also benefiting from a longer recovery period from their Middle Eastern travels, a fatigued Real Madrid may struggle in their Copa del Rey defense and could face a tough challenge against their determined rivals.
