Verdict: Total home goals over 2.5
Best odds: 5/4
Bookmaker: Betfair
Real Madrid will look to secure their place in the Copa del Rey final when they host fellow La Liga side Real Sociedad at the Bernabéu on Tuesday night for the second leg of their semi-final.
Los Blancos hold the upper hand heading into the clash in the Spanish capital, having claimed a 1-0 victory in the first leg at the end of February, with Endrick scoring the decisive goal in the 19th minute.
Real Madrid
Real Madrid faced a scare against Leganes in La Liga on Saturday night, but as they often do, the reigning Spanish champions found a way to secure victory, sealing a 3-2 win with Kylian Mbappe scoring twice.
The result briefly put Los Blancos level on points with Barcelona at the top of the table, but Hansi Flick’s side restored their three-point lead by defeating Girona 4-1 at home on Sunday afternoon.
Chasing a treble this season, Carlo Ancelotti’s team is also preparing for a Champions League quarter-final, with the first leg against Arsenal set for April 8.
While La Liga and the Champions League remain the club’s primary targets, Madrid are also in a strong position to reach the Copa del Rey final, holding a 1-0 advantage from the first leg of their semi-final against Real Sociedad.
Los Blancos have won the Copa del Rey 20 times, making them the competition’s third-most successful club behind Barcelona (31) and Athletic Bilbao (24), though their only triumph since 2014 came last season.
Team News
Thibaut Courtois is expected to be available after missing the Leganes match due to muscular fatigue, but Andriy Lunin remains the designated Copa del Rey goalkeeper and is likely to start again.
Ferland Mendy, Dani Ceballos, Eder Militao, and Dani Carvajal are all sidelined with injuries, but no new issues have been reported following Saturday’s fixture.
Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo, Federico Valverde, and Aurélien Tchouameni are set to return to the lineup, while Mbappe, now on 33 goals in his debut season, will once again lead the attack.
Real Sociedad
Real Sociedad have won the Copa del Rey twice, with their most recent triumph coming in the 2019/20 season, marking their first victory in the competition since 1987.
La Real have endured a disappointing La Liga campaign, currently sitting 10th in the standings with just 38 points from 29 matches, leaving them only two points ahead of 12th-placed Getafe.
Imanol Alguacil’s side will enter this match on the back of a victory, having edged past Real Valladolid 2-1 on Saturday. However, that result marked their first win in any competition since February 23.
Their recent away form has been concerning, with five defeats in their last six domestic matches on the road. Additionally, they have not beaten Real Madrid at the Bernabeu in La Liga since January 2019.
That said, the Basque outfit did claim a memorable 4-3 victory at the Bernabeu in the Copa del Rey back in February 2020, and with Madrid’s focus divided across multiple competitions, the visitors may see an opportunity to capitalize on Tuesday night.
Team News
Brais Mendez is a doubt due to a foot injury, while Nayef Aguerd, Sheraldo Becker, Arsen Zakharyan, and Jon Pacheco could also be unavailable for the second leg.
Ander Barrenetxea, who missed the Valladolid match due to suspension, is back in the squad and is expected to start.
Mikel Oyarzabal, the team’s top scorer this season with 12 goals across all competitions, is set to lead the attack from a central role.
Conclusion
Real Sociedad have underperformed this season compared to their true potential, but it is hard to see them getting a positive result in this clash. Real Madrid are a relentless winning machine and are expected to book their place in the Copa del Rey final without much trouble.
Verdict: Total home goals over 2.5
Best odds: 5/4
Bookmaker: Betfair
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