Copa del Rey: Madrid Derby is a Knockout

Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid

They’re at it again. The Madrid giants are about to come face-to-face at the Civitas Metropolitano when they battle it out for a place in the Copa del Rey fifth round.

When the players cross the white line on Thursday, only eight days will have passed since Brahim Diaz capped off a 5-3 win for Los Blancos over Atleti in the Supercopa d’Espana. So the Copa clash is a chance for Diego Simeone’s side to exact some revenge, but it’s also an opportunity for Carlo Ancelotti’s Real Madrid to deal out another knockout blow to their city rivals.

Both teams came through the third round of the Copa with 3-1 away wins, with Atleti beating Primera Federacion side Lugo while Real saw off fourth-tier Arandina. Both teams rested key players for that round, but we’ll see two very strong sides square up on Thursday.

Talking Points

Atleti looking for a strong second half

Simeone’s team has suffered an inconsistent first half of the campaign and they sit in fifth place and 11 points behind league leaders Girona, with a game in hand.

Their league season isn’t over by any means; the title is a very long shot now, of course, but there is work to do to claim a top four place, and Simeone needs consistency from his players, who have won two, drawn one, and lost three of their last six games in all competitions.

This is a team with plenty of experience and strong partnerships from back to front. Jose Gimenez and Stefan Savic form one of the strongest centre-back pairings in Europe, while Skipper Koke operates in front of Rodrigo de Paul in midfield, and the return of box-to-box midfielder Saul Niguez has added more energy to that department.

And up front, Antoine Griezmann is back to his best, alongside the ever-dependable Alvaro Morata. But this is not the biggest squad, and reports that forward Angel Correa has been offered a whopping £52 million over three years to play in the Saudi Pro League are unsettling.

The Argentine star is a key squad player, and he scored in Atleti’s win over Lugo, but his frustration at not being able to nail down a first-eighth place may lead him to be tempted.

Vinicius’ time to shine for Real

Los Blancos slapped Barcelona in the Supercopa final 4-1 and the Copa del Rey 2024 betting odds rate the El Clasico pair as joint favourites for the domestic cup. But I suspect if Real see off Atleti on Thursday, they will be installed as clear favourites. Ancelotti has some sparkling talent on his side, and Jude Bellingham, who has had a spectacular first six months at the club, is sure to make his fair share of Copa del Rey 2024 highlights. And then there’s Vinicius Junior.

The young Brazilian put in a man-of-the-match performance in the Supercopa victory over Barcelona, scoring a hat-trick inside the first 40 minutes before his compatriot Rodrygo made it four in the second half.

The arrival of Bellingham and the England man’s scoring exploits have taken a little pressure on Vinicius after the departure of Karim Benzema to the Saudi Pro League, and the 23-year-old is now starting to thrive.

His pace and trickery make him one of the best wingers or Number Tens in the business, and if he adds a few more goals, then Los Blancos will have another Galactico in their hands.

Vinicius will line up alongside Rodrygo, with Bellingham sitting behind, and, at the other end of the pitch, Ancelotti is ready to make a big decision.

He has rotated goalkeepers Kepa Arrizabalaga and Andriy Lunin, and the boss picked the Ukrainian for the final against Barca. That puts Lunin ahead of Kepa in the pecking order, and it is his place to lose.

Real Madrid are trying to impose their authority on the La Liga title race and, if they get it right at the business end of the pitch, and the season, it could be another great year for Los Blancos.   

History

Los Blancos are the reigning Copa champions having won their 20^th title last year while Atletico are 12 times Copa del Rey winners, the last time in 2013 

With 42 wins to 14, Real Madrid have won three times as many Madrid derbies than their city rivals over the past 30 years.

Atleti are looking for revenge having lost the Supercopa d’Espana semi-final only a week ago but Los Blancos have won the last six, are unbeaten in 21 games and nine away from home. In Los Rojiblancos favour, they are unbeaten at the Metropolitano in their last 24 games.  

Betting Tip

With Atleti at SBOTOP odds of 2.55 and Real at 2.38, this is a tough match to call, and I see it going past 90 minutes. Los Blancos have some serious momentum but I just wonder of Simeone’s experienced campaigners will exact their revenge.   

 

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