It is the Madrid derby in the Copa Del Rey as Real Madrid host Atletico Madrid in the quarter-finals. While Atletico have done well in recent weeks, they often show a vulnerable streak against Los Blancos, who are expected to have the upper hand on Thursday.
Real Madrid will take a break from their pursuit of Barcelona in La Liga as they turn their attention to the Copa Del Rey. Having already lost one trophy this season, Carlo Ancelotti’s men will be keen to set things right in this competition.
Los Blancos have won their last two matches. First, they claimed a 3-2 victory at Villarreal in the previous round of the Copa Del Rey before seeing off Athletic Bilbao 2-0 in La Liga last Sunday.
Another positive about Thursday’s match is that Real Madrid are unbeaten at the Santiago Bernabeu across all competitions this season. However, they are not as solid defensively, keeping just one clean sheet in their last 11 home matches.
Atletico Madrid have shown plenty of improvement in recent weeks and while a title push does not seem feasible at the moment, they are fully back in the mix for a European finish. They have suffered just one defeat in their last nine matches across all competitions, claiming seven wins in that run.
Among the recent wins for Atletico Madrid is a 2-0 victory at Levante in the previous round of the Copa Del Rey. They followed that up with a 3-0 victory over Real Valladolid in La Liga last Sunday with Alvaro Morata scoring in both matches.
While manager Diego Simeone will be pleased with his team’s improvement, Atletico Madrid have found things difficult against the top two. They have already bean beaten by Real Madrid in La Liga this season while the only blemish in their recent good form is a 1-0 defeat to Barcelona.
How the bookies view it
The bookies have Real Madrid as overwhelming favourites with a home win priced at 10/11 by William Hill. A victory for Atletico Madrid is valued at 10/3 by bet365 while William Hill is also offering odds of 13/5 for a draw.
Recent head to head
Real Madrid have a good record against Atletico Madrid in recent meetings with four wins and a draw from the last six fixtures. Los Blancos have also beaten their local rivals this season, claiming a 2-1 victory in a La Liga clash back in September.
Players to watch
Karim Benzema appears to have returned to his best after a string of injuries earlier in the season and will be the one tasked with providing the spark in attack. The striker has eight goals in his last 10 matches across all competitions and is priced at 21/20 by bet365 to find the net on Sunday.
Atletico Madrid have their own in-form player with Alvaro Morata scoring in his last two matches. The striker will be the one to watch on Thursday and is priced at 27/10 by Unibet to get on the score sheet.
Anything else catch the eye?
Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid have shown some attacking quality lately which means both teams can be backed to score at 17/20 with William Hill. The last meeting produced over 2.5 goals and a repeat is valued at 19/20 with Unibet, who are also offering 5/2 for over 3.5 goals.
Los Blancos have scored in both halves in four of their last five home matches and could be set to follow a similar pattern at 41/20 with Unibet.
This match between Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid will be played on Jan 26, 2023 and kick off at 20:00. Check below for our tipsters best Real Madrid vs Atletico Madrid prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.