Real Betis vs Atletico Madrid
The Copa del Rey is Atletico Madrid’s most realistic shot at winning silverware this season, as they’re stuck in third place behind Barcelona and Real Madrid in the La Liga standings, and Diego Simeone’s men have a winnable game against Real Betis on Thursday night at La Cartuja.
Los Rojiblancos plan to return to winning ways after losing to Bodo/Glimt in the Champions League and drawing against Levante last weekend. Despite these results, Atletico Madrid are confident heading into Thursday’s match, given their productive winter transfer window.
Meanwhile, Real Betis recently ended their two-game losing streak across all competitions. After losses against PAOK in the Europa League (2-0) and Alaves (2-1), Manuel Pellegrini’s side notched consecutive 2-1 victories against Feyenoord and Valencia, rising to fifth in the Spanish top-flight table.
After Thursday, these two teams will meet again at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano for their next league match on Sunday evening.
Talking Points
Real Betis missing several key players
Head coach Manuel Pellegrini hopes to have a healthier squad when they face Atletico Madrid on Thursday night in their knockout cup game. Against Valencia on Sunday afternoon, Real Betis were without Giovani Lo Celso, Sofyan Amrabat, Isco, Junior Firpo, Cucho Hernandez, Hector Bellerin, and Rodrigo Riquelme due to injuries. On the other hand, Natan had to serve his one-match suspension after picking up his fifth yellow card of the season last week against Alaves.
Among them, Natan is the only sure returnee for Los Verdiblancos, and the 24-year-old defender will likely reclaim his starting spot, relegating Diego Llorente to the bench. During the recently concluded winter transfer window, Arsenal and West Ham United offered to buy Natan, but Real Betis didn’t budge, and the Brazilian stays put.
Assuming Pellegrini won’t have any of his injured players back in time for Thursday, he should field the same starting XI that he had against Valencia. Marc Roca, Sergi Altimira, and Nelson Deossa should continue to start in midfield. Chimy Avila, Abde Ezzalouli, and Antony should spearhead the attack, with Pablo Fornals – their second-leading scorer with six league goals and four assists – coming off the bench.
Atletico Madrid could play the new boys
Atletico Madrid got busy in the winter transfer window with the acquisitions of Ademola Lookman, Obed Vargas, and Rodri Mendoza, and the three of them could make their Los Rojiblancos debuts against Real Betis on Thursday.
Among them, Lookman is the marquee signing, as he instantly adds to their firepower. The 28-year-old can play either as an attacking midfielder or a striker, and Lookman is eager for a fresh start after his unceremonious exit at Atalanta.
Right now, he’ll play behind Alexander Sorloth, Thiago Almada, Alex Baena, and Julian Alvarez. Sorloth and Almada started up front during their goalless draw against Levante, so head Diego Simeone could tinker with his frontline on Thursday.
History
Atletico Madrid are among the winningest teams in Copa del Rey history, with 10 trophies and nine runners-up finishes. Diego Simeone’s men last won it all in 2012-13, beating Real Madrid in the final, but haven’t reached the final since then.
Real Betis have three Copa del Reys under their belt to go along with two runners-up finishes. Los Verdiblancos last won it in 2021-22, beating Valencia in the final penalty shootout after a 1-1 draw in regulation. The last time these two teams crossed paths in the cup was in 2012-13. At the time, Atletico Madrid won 2-0 at the Vicente Calderon and drew 1-1 in the return leg at the Benito Villamarin (3-1 on aggregate).
Los Rojiblancos won 2-0 in their first league meeting at La Cartuja this term, through first-half goals from Giuliano Simeone and Alex Baena.
Betting Tip
The Copa del Rey 2026 odds have Atletico Madrid edging out Real Betis in a tight contest on Thursday night. Los Rojiblancos are pegged to win at 2.11, whereas Los Verdiblancos are at 3.14, and a draw after 90 minutes is at 3.24 in the 1X2 market.
Both teams have goals and Copa del Rey 2026 highlights in them, so fans at La Cartuja shouldn’t expect anything less. Besides our recommended bet, SBOTOP punters may also add Over 2.50 at 1.83, Over 2.75 at 2.04, and Total Goals 2-3 at 2.00 to the parlay, while Over 3.00 at 2.40 is tempting. Moreover, a Correct Score of 2-0 in favour of Los Rojiblancos – the result of their first league encounter this term – offers a tidy payday of 11.00 your bet.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR (⭐) BETS ARE WORTH:
⭐⭐⭐= €20 (HIGHLY CONFIDENT)
⭐⭐= €10 (CONFIDENT)
⭐= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT)
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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