Atleti’s focus shifts to the Copa del Rey in a mid-week clash.
Atlético de Madrid return to Spain but find themselves once again away from home, as they travel north to A Coruña to take on Deportivo in a Copa del Rey clash on Tuesday night at 9 p.m. local time.
Taking a pause from LaLiga and Champions League competition, Atlético find themselves in the Round of 16 of the Copa del Rey. Their campaign began with a tense match in which the red-and-white club needed a bit of luck and Juan Musso heroics to escape with a 3-2 win over CD Atlético Baleares.
Atleti will be looking to rebound following a bitter result against their crosstown rivals in Jeddah and a lackluster draw in the Basque Country against Real Sociedad in the league
Deportivo de La Coruña enter this match against Atlético in shaky form in the Segunda División. Depor have not won a league match since November — prior to their poor run of form, Os Brancoazuis found themselves at the top of the table. A win against an Atlético side struggling to find their away form would be just the way to right the ship.
Depor defeated top-flight Mallorca in their most recent Copa del Rey outing, and Antonio Hidalgo’s men have scored eight goals and conceded just one across three cup games.
The two bright spots for Los Herculinos have been Zakaria Eddahchouri and Yeremay Hernández, who have netted eight and seven goals, respectively. Sergio Escudero is the lone player on the injury report for Depor, which is concerning for the hosts given Atleti’s ability to create chances down the right.
The primary focus for Depor post-relegation has been to return to top flight football. The Galician club has a proud history and was a force in the 1990s and the 2000s; they won LaLiga in 2000, claimed the Copa del Rey in 1995 and 2002 and reached the UEFA Champions League semifinals in 2004.
Team news
Two familiar names grace the injury report, as Nico Gonzalez and Clément Lenglet continue to recover from their respective injuries, but a notable addition to that list is Koke. Early Monday morning, it was revealed that the Spanish international may be dealing with fatigue from a muscle strain picked up during the Spanish Super Cup. His status for Tuesday is in some doubt.
Some good news on the injury front for Los Colchoneros though is Pablo Barrios has been reintegrated into training. and he is expected to play at Estadio Riazor.
A few familiar names find themselves in the midst of transfer rumors, and that could affect the lineup Diego Simeone chooses. Thiago Almada is at the center of transfer rumors, and he may yet leave the club this month. Giacomo Raspadori’s future remains uncertain, and the Italian striker may be waiting for an offer from former club Napoli as he weighs his options. Conor Gallagher may be returning to England in the coming days as Aston Villa have entered formal talks with Atlético over a loan with an obligation to buy.
Possible 11: Musso; Molina, Giménez, Le Normand, Ruggeri; Johnny, Almada, Llorente, Baena; Griezmann, Raspadori.
Score prediction: 1-3 with goals from Baena, Griezmann and Raspadori for Atleti and one goal from Eddahchouri for Depor.
Historical matchup
Atlético de Madrid hold a 54-26-26 all time record in all competitions against Deportivo de La Coruña. The last meeting between the clubs was on April 1, 2018, when Atlético escapde with a 1-0 victory in the Metropolitano via a penalty from Kévin Gameiro. In their last 10 meetings, Atléti are 5-3-2 against Depor.
Notable players who have represented both clubs
Filipe Luís, Adrián López, Victor Mollejo, Donato, Juan Carlos Valerón, José Molina.
Category: General Sports
