The Metropolitan hosts a revenge derby
Atlético seeks revenge for the defeat in the Super Cup against a Real Madrid that this season has only lost in the strong red-and-white fiefdom
MADRID, 17 Ene. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Atlético de Madrid and Real Madrid meet again this Thursday in the round of 16 of the Copa del Rey 2023-2024, with the recent and very latent memory of the Super Cup semi-final with a white victory, a match that gave impetus to the brand new 'super champion' of Spain, who wants to continue on the rise in the second stop of the 'marathon' of derbies, while the red and white want to take revenge in the refuge of a talismanic Metropolitan, the only fiefdom in which the whites have lost this season.
The revenge, for both teams, will be the protagonist of the cup derby this Thursday (9:30 p.m./La 1). Revenge for Atlético after the resounding defeat (5-3) in extra time of the semifinal of the Spanish Super Cup, played in Saudi Arabia; and revenge for Real Madrid, which has the thorn in its side from its only defeat this season, a 3-1 at the Cívitas Metropolitano that was a turning point for growth.
The victory against the red and whites in Riyadh, not without effort and exhaustion, gave wings to Carlo Ancelotti's pupils, who this Sunday were proclaimed champions of the Spanish Super Cup by sweeping Barça with clear superiority (4-1) in the final. A result that reaffirms the upward trend and the good moment that the Madrid fans are going through, and that forces the colchoneros to learn their lesson.
The ingredients of the successful merengue recipe are the “good atmosphere” that reigns in the white locker room, the “team spirit” that resides in the squad and the “good football” that Ancelotti's team are displaying so far, according to analysis by the Reggiolo coach in the run-up to the cup duel.
And a derby is never just any match, and in this one at the Metropolitano it seems as decisive as it is vibrant and intense, given that one of the two teams will be eliminated from the competition. With this premise comes a 'Vini' on a roll – author of a hat-trick in the Super Cup final – who must now also respond against Atleti, against whom he has only scored one goal in twelve matches.
The Italian coach advanced possible changes to the eleven taking into account the distribution of loads after the tournament in Riyadh, meaning substitute players against Barça such as Luka Modric, who could share the center of the field with Fede Valverde and Eduardo Camavinga. This would leave Toni Kroos and Tchouameni, starters on Sunday, as disruptors in this field. In addition, Rodygo Goes trained on the sidelines this Wednesday and could start on the bench, making way for a rising Brahim Díaz or Joselu Mato.
The Metropolitano will also examine the rocky defensive system of Real Madrid, which in Riyadh, although with a happy ending for the Madridistas, once again succumbed to the rojiblancos, the only team capable of, in addition to beating them – the one from the Colchonero fiefdom last September It is the only merengue blot this season -, to score more than two goals in the white goal.
This confirms that, with the club's brand new all-time top scorer (174), Antoine Griezmann and Álvaro Morata, the aspect that Diego Simeone's team must take care of is the defensive one, after many mismatches in the Super Cup semi-final. The red and white team, with more quality than at the beginning of the project, has lost consistency and forcefulness at the back, with only 8 clean sheets in 28 games, 29%.
However, the Argentine coach, only with the realistic alternative of César Azpilicueta, after the poor performance of Çaglar Söyüncü, would bet again on Stefan Savic, José María Giménez and Mario Hermoso as guardians of Oblak's goal. And Simeone would not contemplate any changes with respect to the semifinal in Riyadh.
Thus, the midfield will be made up of Saúl Ñíguez, Koke and Rodrigo de Paul -with Pablo Barrios waiting on the bench-. Meanwhile, Marcos Llorente would occupy the right lane, with Samu Lino on the left, both with the responsibility of making their team deeper. Memphis Depay, now recovered, will be the 'plan b' for the fruitful Griezmann-Morata pairing.
With these 'warriors', Atlético will defend its exceptional streak in the Metropolitano – 25 games in a row without losing, it has not fallen for more than a year -, the great argument on which its chances of advancing to the quarterfinals in the Cup are built. Great red and white goal: push Real Madrid to the limit again.
And the recent history between both teams suggests that the tie could be decided beyond the regulation 90 minutes, as on the seven previous occasions in which they faced each other in a single match.
DATASHEET.
–POSIBLE ALIGNMENTS:
ATLÉTICO DE MADRID: Oblak; Llorente, Savic, Giménez, Hermoso, Lino; De Paul, Koke, Saúl Ñíguez; Griezmann and Morata.
REAL MADRID: Lunin; Carvajal, Rüdiger, Nacho, Mendy; Camavinga, Valverde, Modric, Bellingham; Brahim and Vinícius.
–REFEREE: Cuadra Fernández (Balearic Islands).
–STADIUM: Cívitas Metropolitano.
–TIME: 9:30 p.m./1st.