Overview
Real Betis will aim to win a ticket to the semi-finals, and extend their winning streak to 3 consecutive matches in all competitions when facing Atletico Madrid.
Manuel Pellegrini's team had a fairly smooth journey at the Copa del Rey this season. They started with a 7-1 victory over Atletico Palma del Rio in the first round, then successively overcame Torrent 4-1 and Real Murcia 2-0 in the second and third rounds. Next, Betis defeated Elche 2-1 in the round of 16 to reach the quarter-finals.
Verdiblancos are no stranger to success in the league, having been crowned three times in 1977, 2005 and most recently in 2022. Last season, they stopped in the round of 16 after a heavy 1-5 defeat to Barcelona.
In the domestic arena, Betis is having a relatively positive season when currently ranked fifth in La Liga. They entered this match with a confident 2-1 victory over Valencia, although the defense still worried fans when they did not keep a clean sheet in 4 consecutive matches.
In the opposite direction, Atletico is a challenge that is not easy to overcome. Diego Simeone's team is still looking for stability when they have only won 2 in the last 5 matches in all competitions. However, Atletico is still chasing the championship race when they are third in La Liga, 10 points behind Barcelona and 9 points behind Real Madrid.
On the journey to the quarter-finals, Atletico had narrow victories when they defeated Atletico Baleares in the round of 32, before defeating Deportivo La Coruna 1-0 in the round of 16. Last weekend, they drew 0-0 with Levante in the national championship and certainly want to show a more sharp attacking face in this away match.
In terms of recent encounters, Atletico is slightly better when winning 3/5 recent encounters, while Betis has 1 win and 1 0-0 draw. Notably, Atletico won both of their most recent encounters with a minimum difference of 2 goals.
Personnel situation
Real Betis is facing many personnel problems before the match, forcing Manuel Pellegrini to calculate carefully in rotation.
On the home side, Hector Bellerin and Giovani Lo Celso both left open the possibility of playing due to not being fit, while Junior Firpo was eliminated due to a thigh injury. Isco has been out since November due to a thigh injury and although approaching the return day, this quarter-final seems to be coming too early.
In addition, Sofyan Amrabat cannot play due to a foot injury, and Juan Hernandez is absent due to a hamstring problem.
On Atletico Madrid's side, Rodrigo Riquelme and Pablo Barrios will be absent due to muscle injuries. Alexander Sorloth cannot participate due to head injuries, and Antoine Griezmann is still uncertain to be eligible to play.
Notably, Atletico has just announced the successful recruitment of Nigerian winger Ademola Lookman, but it is highly likely that the former Atalanta player will not debut in this match. In attack, Julian Alvarez is likely to play highest, with the support option behind possibly Thiago Almada.
Expected lineup:
Real Betis: Adrian, Ruibal, Diego Llorente, Bartra, Rodriguez, Altimira, Roca, Antony, Deossa, Ezzalzouli, Avila.
Atletico Madrid: Musso, Ruggeri, Hancko, Pubill, Molina, Baena, Cardoso, Llorente, Simeone, Alvarez, Almada.
The match between Real Betis and Atletico Madrid takes place at 3:00 AM on February 6th (Vietnam time).
