Prediction: Real Madrid win
Best Odds: 1/3
Bookmaker: bet365
We’re starting to get down to the nitty gritty of the European football season, as every single major division gets back up and running after the holiday period. One such nation that is often considered to be amongst the best of the best in world football in Spain, whose top sides will be in action this week. They’ll be competing in the Copa del Rey which is actually a two legged affair at this stage, which is likely one of the reasons why they do so well in the Champions League and Europa League.
Real Madrid
Real Madrid have had a turbulent season and that’s putting it lightly. While it could still easily be salvaged, there’s a long way to go before they can even think about making that a reality. They continue to drop games against teams that everyone believes they should be beating, but to their credit, they’re still hanging around. The Copa del Rey serves as a realistic goal for them when it comes to securing silverware this season, but the big question is still whether or not they’re capable of overcoming their shortcomings.
Team News
Marcos Llorente and Toni Kroos are both on the verge of returns following injuries, with Bale and Asensio still being sidelined.
Girona
Girona are naturally considered to be the underdogs in this little tale, but we shouldn’t be writing them off by any stretch of the imagination. They’ve already pulled off some really impressive feats this season both in the cup and in the league, and they seem hell bent on making a fairytale run to the final. Girona lost to Real earlier in the season but they’re a different team now, and while they may be stuck in a bit of a winless rut, the magic of the cup could be the perfect anecdote for getting them back on track.
Team News
Cristhian Stuani was suspended against Real Betis, but he’s expected to return to the starting line-up for this one.
Factors to Consider
- The game will be played at Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu.
- Real Madrid have won three, drawn one and lost two of their last six games.
- Girona have drawn five and lost one of their last six games.
- Real Madrid have scored nine goals and conceded six in their last six games.
- Girona have scored 10 goals and conceded 11 in their last six games.
Conclusion
It feels like we’re going to get a bit of a goalfest here, because we’ve seen already this season that Girona are more than willing to throw caution to the wind in the name of trying to secure the win. We’re going to predict that the visitors are actually the ones who take the lead, which kind of follows the trend of Real’s season thus far. However, the home side will wake up and quickly take action, scoring a handful of goals in quick succession to give themselves the advantage heading into the second leg.
Prediction: Real Madrid win
Best Odds: 1/3
Bookmaker: bet365
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