Atletico Madrid and Sevilla will face off on Thursday night with a Copa del Rey semi-final spot up for grabs.
Atletico Madrid will aim to go better than last season when they take on Sevilla in the Copa del Rey quarter-final on Thursday night.
Having defeated defending champions and arch-rivals Real Madrid in the previous round, Diego Simeone will be eyeing a first Copa Del Rey for the club since 2013. Since securing their tenth triumph in the competition, Atletico Madrid have progressed to the last four just twice.
Sevilla are an inconsistent team but have the ability to hurt their opponents in the day. They hold the edge over the Rojiblancos in the competition and won their last encounter, at the quarter-final stage in 2018 by an aggregate scoreline of 5-2.
The Copa del Rey is a special tournament for Simeone, having won it both as a player and manager at Atletico. In fact, the club’s victory in 2013 was his first domestic piece of silverware as Rojiblancos manager. With home support to boot, he will be keen to extend the club’s unbeaten streak at the Civitas Metropolitano, an arena where the capital side have gone unbeaten for over a year now.
All is not lost for Sevilla as they still pack a punch. More so, they are also the last team to beat Simeone’s side at home in the Copa del Rey, back in 2018. With the competition representing both teams’ best chance of securing a trophy this season, there should be no love lost on the field. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Atletico Madrid
Diego Simeone will be without Thomas Lemar, Cesar Azpilicueta and Vitolo, all of whom are out injured. Angel Correa is on the cusp of moving to Al-Ittihad, and the player expected to replace him- Moise Kean is unlikely to make it in time for the game.
It is not all bad news as Reinildo is expected to be back after Mozambique crashed out of the Africa Cup of Nations earlier in the week. Then defender scored in the 2-2 draw against Ghana and will now hope to continue that hot streak at the club level.
Simeone is likely to retain his 3-5-2 formation against Sevilla, with Jan Oblak in the Atletico Madrid goal. He should be protected by the back three of Stefan Savic, Jose Gimenez and Mario Hermoso. Nahuel Molina and Samuel Lino should reinforce the wings and will provide the width on the night.
Rodrigo De Paul will join Koke and Saul Niguez in the middle of the park. The trio’s industry should outweigh their ability to break down opposition backlines. That responsibility is likely to end up with Antoine Greizmann, who continues to be Atletico’s creator-in-chief. Alvaro Morata should lead the line and will hope for another heroic night with his goals making the difference.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Oblak; Savic, Gimenez, Hermoso; Molina, Koke, De Paul, Saul, Lino; Morata, Griezmann
Sevilla
The visitors will be reeling from their 5-1 loss to La Liga leaders Girona and are fighting tooth and nail to avoid being relegated. The trip to the capital is unlikely to be pleasant but will be a welcome relief to the fans, who have had to witness Sevilla’s dismal league campaign this season.
Injuries have not made life any easier, with Nemanja Gudelj, Dodi Lukebakio and Kike Salas all out injured. Marcos Acuna and Loic Bade are in line to return should they prove their fitness. Star striker Youssef En-Nesyri is currently at the Africa Cup of Nations and is unavailable to feature on the night.
Quique Sanchez Flores will have his work cut out and is likely to revert to a back four on the night in a 4-3-3 formation. Marko Dmitrovic should start in the goal behind the back four of Jesus Navas, Marcao and Adria Pedrosa.
Joan Jordan should hold the fort in midfield, with Ivan Rakitic and Djibril Sow in support. Isaac Romero Bernal should lead the Sevilla attack against Atletico Madrid, with Erik Lamela and Luis Ocampos starting out wide.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Dmitrovic; Navas, Marcao, Ramos, Pedrosa; Jordan, Sow, Rakitic; Lamela, Bernal, Ocampos
Key Stats
- Atletico Madrid are the fourth-most successful side in Copa del Rey history, having won the competition ten times. Sevilla, on the other hand, have won the competition just five times.
- A win on the night will see Atletico Madrid qualify for the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey for the first time since the 2016/17 season.
- Atletico Madrid have not won the Copa del Rey since 2013, while Sevilla’s last triumph in the competition was in 2010.
- Both teams have faced off 17 times in the Copa Del Rey, with Sevilla coming out on top nine times. Atletico Madrid have won seven matches, with one ending in a draw.
- Atletico Madrid have lost four of their last six quarter-final appearances in the competition.
- Atletico have not lost at the Civitas Metropolitano since January 8, 2023. However, their most recent home loss in the Copa del Rey at home was against Sevilla in 2018.
Player to Watch
Alvaro Morata
The Spanish international is expected to lead the Atletico Madrid line against Sevilla and could be in for a merry time against Sevilla. Morata has shown an excellent understanding with Griezmann and will form the duo that should cause Sevilla the most problems from a defensive standpoint.
The veteran has 19 goals and three assists for Atletico in 28 games across all competitions this season. Morata found the back of the net against Real Madrid in the previous round of the Copa del Rey and will hope to fire the home side to the semi-finals.
Prediction
Atletico Madrid 2-0 Sevilla
Atletico Madrid will be on a high following their wins over Real Madrid and Granada. While Valencia will be a difficult game at the weekend, the Copa del Rey represents Diego Simeone’s best shot at silverware this season. With home support to boot, anything less than a two goal win for Atletico Madrid over Sevilla will be a surprise.