Deportiva Minerva are all set to host Real Madrid in the round of 32 of the Copa del Rey at the Estadio Municipal Angel Celdran.
Carlo Ancelotti’s Real Madrid will be looking to make it to the round of 16 of the Copa del Rey with a win over fourth-tier outfit Deportiva Minerva on Monday evening.
Minerva were playing in the Spanish fifth division last season. The home side fought hard to secure a promotion and have done a decent job in the fourth tier. But, they have been without a league win since the end of November, having picked up just two points from their four outings.
The Red Eagles are heading into this cup fixture on the back of a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Juventud Torremolinos. They have not been in action since the 21st of December and are now gearing up to host one of the biggest teams in Spain.
Meanwhile, the visitors have been a touch inconsistent this season but they are still very much alive in all competitions. Los Blancos are heading into this fixture on the back of an emphatic win over Valencia. The reigning La Liga champions conceded a goal quite early in the game, and things went from bad to worse when Vinicius Junior was sent off.
Against the odds, the team in white bounced back and secured all three points thanks to two late strikes. They are expected to go past Minerva without much trouble. The Hard Tackle takes a close look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could put to use.
Team News & Tactics
Deportiva Minerva
The home team do not have any fresh injury concerns ahead of this all-important fixture against the Spanish giants. Deportiva Minerva will stick to the 4-4-2 formation, where Fran Martínez will be in goal.
Jose Mas and Juanmi Heredero will be the two full-backs for them, while Monty will pair up with Javi Vera in the heart of the defence. They will look to keep things tight at the back and will receive support from the four in front of them.
Cristhian Britos and Damián Petcoff will feature in central roles. They will look to ensure the Real Madrid midfielders do not end up dominating the proceedings. Domingo Pujante Beltrán and Pipo will support the full-backs and provide width to their attacks. Omar Perdomo will partner Francis Ferron in the final third of the pitch.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Martinez; Mas, Monty, Vera, Heredero; Pujante, Petcoff, Britos, Pipo; Perdomo, Ferron
Real Madrid
Vinicius Junior’s red card in his last outing means he will be suspended for this one. Apart from the Brazilian international, Carlo Ancelotti remains without the services of David Alaba, Dani Carvajal, and Eder Militao.
The Italian manager is expected to make wholesale changes to his XI for this outing. Real Madrid will continue to line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation. Andriy Lunin should be in goal, while Lucas Vazquez and Fran Garcia could be the full-backs. In the heart of the defence, Raul Asencio should start alongside Jesus Vallejo.
Dani Ceballos and Aurelien Tchouameni could form the double pivot in midfield. They will look to control the tempo of the game. Arda Guler and Brahim Diaz will be on the flanks, while Luka Modric could take up the number ten role. Endrick could finally get to make his second start for Real Madrid as he is expected to lead the line against Deportiva Minerva.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Lunin; Vazquez, Asencio, Vallejo, Garcia; Ceballos, Tchouameni; Guler, Modric, Brahim; Endrick
Key Stats
- This is all set to be the first competitive meeting between Deportiva Minerva and Real Madrid.
- Real Madrid have won five out of their last six games across competitions (5 wins, 1 draw).
- Deportiva Minerva have been winless in their last three outings.
- Los Blancos have scored three goals in five out of their last six games across competitions.
- Deportiva Minerva got the better of La Liga outfit Deportivo Alaves in the second round of the Copa del Rey.
Player to Watch
Endrick
The Brazilian attacking sensation was off to a flying start at Real Madrid. Despite only getting a handful of minutes, he was able to score some amazing goals. But, things have not been that great for him over the last few months as he has barely had a kick of the ball. This is all set to be his second start for the team in white and he will be eager to add to his tally of two goals and an assist.
Prediction
Deportiva Minerva 0-3 Real Madrid
Los Blancos might have been inconsistent for the majority of the campaign, but they are still the out-and-out favourites for this fixture. Despite the difficulty they had to go past Valencia, Real Madrid are expected to win this one without much trouble.
Deportiva Minerva will try to script history, but that is unlikely to happen given the difference in quality of both squads. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-0 win for the team in white.
