- Date: 7th February 2024
- Kick-off time: 08:30 PM GMT
- Venue: Civitas Metropolitan Stadium, Madrid
- Competition: Copa Del Rey
Atletico Madrid vs Athletic Club Match Preview
Inform Atletico Madrid and Athletic Bilbao face off at the Civitas Metropolitan Stadium in the Spanish capital of Madrid on Wednesday in the first-leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final encounter.
Trailing city rivals Real Madrid by 10 points in La Liga, and having lost the Spanish Supercup at the same stage to them, Atletico are relying on the cup for some trophy success this season.
Los Rojiblancos overcame Lugo 3-1 in the round of 32 before a stunning 4-2 derby victory over Real Madrid in the last-16, followed by a narrow 1-0 win over Sevilla in their most recent cup fixture. Now, the capital side is just two games away from their first appearance in the Copa finals since winning the trophy in 2013.
Meanwhile, Bilbao’s dreams of winning their first silverware in the competition since 1984 received a major boost following their epic 4-2 victory over Barcelona in the quarter-finals. Having trailed 2-1 after 32 minutes, the Lions fought back imperiously, equalising in the second-half through Oihan Sancet before Inaki Williams and Neco Williams scored two more in extra-time.
Adding more wind to their sails was a thumping 4-0 win over Mallorca in La Liga at the weekend, as Ernesto Valverde’s side geared up for their crucial cup semi-final in the best way possible. Having reached five Copa del Rey finals in the last 15 years and lost all of them, Los Leones have a tryst with destiny.
Team News:
It’s been a good start to the year for Atletico Madrid, who’ve won six of their eight official games this year, including each of their last five, and lost just twice. By contrast, it all began with a pulsating 4-3 loss to Girona in the league, but Diego Simeone’s side have turned it all around in style since, and enter the tie as favourites.
Meanwhile, Athletic Bilbao started their 2024 with four wins in a row, including two in the cup against Eibar and Alaves. Valencia managed to end that run with a 1-0 top-flight loss but Los Leones went the next three unbeaten, winning two. In their most recent outing, the Lions made mincemeat of the hapless Mallorca in a comprehensive 4-0 victory at home.
Also Read: Rayo Vallecano vs Sevilla Preview and Prediction
Predicted Line-ups:
Atletico Madrid:
- Goalkeeper – Jan Oblak
- Defenders – Axel Witsel, Miguel Hermoso, Reinildo Mandava
- Midfielders – Nahuel Molina, Rodrigo De Paul, Koke, Saul, Samuel Lino
- Forwards – Antoine Griezmann, Alvaro Morata
Athletic Bilbao:
- Goalkeeper – Unai Simon
- Defenders – Oscar de Marcos, Daniel Vivian, Yeray Alvarez, Inigo Lekue
- Midfielders – Mikel Vesga, Ander Herrera, Inaki Williams, Oihan Sancet, Neco Williams
- Forward – Gorka Guruzeta
Injury News:
Atletico Madrid: Alvaro Morata returned for their derby clash with Real Madrid and could start here again as the Spaniard is having his best campaign in a while.
Jose Gimenez, Cesar Azpilicueta and Thomas Lemar all missed their league visit to the Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday, and remain doubtful for Wednesday too. Memphis Depay is gunning for a starting berth in the attack after his heroics against Sevilla in the last round of the cup.
Athletic Club: Head coach Ernesto Valverde wouldn’t want to change his starting lineup from their crushing 4-0 victory over Mallorca on Saturday, but Raul Garcia could return in midfield after coming off the bench in that game. Iker Muniain and Andre Herrera are hoping for a place in the XI too. Alex Berenguer and Inigo Ruiz de Galarreta both missed their league clash at the weekend.
Betting Tips:
- Atletico Madrid to win 2-1
- The game will see more than two goals
- Atletico Madrid to score first
Head-To-Head:
There have been 195 clashes between the sides before with Atletico Madrid winning 90 times over Athletic Bilbao and losing on 72 occasions. The fixture has seen 33 draws, but none in their last five.
Last five results:
- Athletic Bilbao 2-0 Atletico Madrid – La Liga
- Atletico Madrid 1-0 Athletic Bilbao – La Liga
- Athletic Bilbao 0-1 Atletico Madrid – La Liga
- Athletic Bilbao 2-0 Atletico Madrid – La Liga
- Atletico Madrid 1-2 Athletic Bilbao – Spanish Supercup
Prediction:
It will be a close encounter between two highly menacing sides, but Atletico Madrid should prevail on home turf, albeit narrowly. Athletic Bilbao will bag a goal or two, but their recent woes away from home mean it may not be enough, with the Basque Country outfit failing to win their last two away games, and drawing a blank in both.
Predicted Score- Atletico Madrid 2-1 Atheltic Club
Odds (Subject To Change):
- Atletico Madrid win – 1.91
- Athletic Bilbao win – 3.90
- Draw – 3.25
- Odds source – oddspedia.com
Where to watch:
- India – FanCode
- United Kingdom – TNT Sports
- United States – ESPN+
- Spain- Fubo TV
Also Read: Real Madrid vs Atletico Madrid Preview and Prediction