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The Copa del Rey is all set to feature a highly anticipated match between Athletic Club and Atletico Madrid tonight at San Memes. Athletic Club did a fantastic job in the first leg of the semifinal, winning against Atletico Madrid by a narrow 1-0 margin. They will now be ready to host the Diogo Simeone boys tonight to play the second leg, where Atletico Madrid will likely be very desperate to make a comeback following their first-leg defeat.
However, the two teams showed their quality and proved why they deserve to win the Copa del Rey. Atletico Madrid eliminated giant Real Madrid from the round of 16 by a 4-2 margin after a dramatic fight. The match went to the extra-time following a 2-2 tie in the first 90 minutes. However, the Simeone boys showed a great characteristic in the extra-time and scored two more goals to secure a 4-2 win against the Los Blancos.
As for Athletic Club, they had a massive test in the quarter-final. They faced off against FC Barcelona in the quarter-final tie and won the same way Atletico Madrid won against Real Madrid.
However, the two teams are now all set to face off once again in a very crucial match of the tournament. The winner of this semifinal will play against Mallorca in the final of the Copa del Rey.
After winning the first leg, Athletic Club have played three games. They tied the game against Almeria but won against Girona, the most surprising team in La Liga. Unfortunately, Athletic Club failed to extend their winning run as they lost their following game against Real Betis by a 3-1 margin.
Atletico Madrid, on the other hand, played four games across all competitions since losing the first leg of the Copa del Rey semifinal. They have been also very inconsistent in their recent games. But the Simeone boys are more than hungry to take revenge for their defeat in the first leg against Athletic Club.
Team News
Athletic defender Yuri Berchiche got a hamstring injury during their defeat against Real Betis, which makes him unavailable for tonight’s game. Ander Herrera is still in doubt, but the manager will wait for him until the last moment.
Nico Williams, however, received a red card against Real Betis in the league game, resulting in he must serve a one-game suspension. But his suspension is only applicable in La Liga’s matches, so Nico is all set to play tonight’s match in Copa Del Rey.
As for Atletico Madrid, they will miss the service of Cesar Azpilicueta, Jose Maria Gimenez, and Thomas Lemar due to their respective injury. Moreover, Antoine Griezmann is also likely to miss this crucial game after he picked up an injury in the match against Inter Milan.
Possible Lineup for Athletic Club:
Agirrezabala; De Marcos, Vivian, Paredes, Garcia de Albeniz; Prados, Ruiz de Galarreta; I. Williams, Sancet, N. Williams; Guruzeta
Possible Lineup for Atletico Madrid:
Oblak; Llorente, Savic, Witsel, Hermoso, Lino; De Paul, Koke, Barrios; Correa, Morata
Prediction: Athletic Club 1-2 Atletico Madrid
Even though Atletico Madrid lost the first leg, we are expecting them to win tonight. This is because the Simeone boys have more experience in big games under pressure. In the recent past, they have made several comebacks to progress into the next round. Although Athletic Club is the home side, Atletico Madrid will be aggressive from the beginning.
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