This Thursday offers a very interesting betting opportunity, as we have analyzed the second leg of the Copa del Rey semifinal for you, where Athletic Bilbao and Atletico Madrid will clash. The first match between these two teams, which was recently played at Wanda Metropolitano, ended with a victory for the team from the Basque Country by 0:1, and the second leg is scheduled for 21:30h.
Athletic Bilbao: Can the Basques maintain their advantage?
Athletic Bilbao is the third most successful club in Spain, right behind Real Madrid and Barcelona, with the last trophy won by this team in 2021 in the Spanish Super Cup. Not many people know that the team from the Basque Country has won the Spanish championship title eight times so far, and when we add to that as many as 23 trophies in the Copa del Rey, it is quite clear why it is considered the third most successful Spanish club. Last season was forgettable, as the team from San Mames failed to qualify for any European competition, finishing only eighth in the table.
Of course, the primary goal at the start of this season was to make it onto the European stage again, and overall, everyone in the club must have many reasons to be satisfied. First of all, we will start with the Copa del Rey where Bilbao is practically on the verge of qualifying for the big final, as in the first leg of the semifinal this team managed to win somewhat unexpectedly at the favored Atletico Madrid, and that duel ended with a score of 0:1.
In the quarterfinals, the pride of the Basque managed to eliminate Barcelona in a fantastic match that was resolved after extra time, ending 4:2. As for the highest tier of Spanish football, it seems likely that we will see this team in at least the Europa League next season, though it’s not excluded that Bilbao could challenge for the Champions League.
Currently, the team coached by Ernesto Valverde is in fifth place in the table, only three points behind the fourth-placed Atletico Madrid, who are also their rivals in the Copa del Rey semifinal. Unfortunately, in the last round, Athletic Bilbao suffered a loss in a very difficult away game at Betis, with a score of 3:1.
However, despite this, the fifth place at the end of the season should not be in question since the Basques currently have a seven-point lead over the sixth-placed Betis, which is not a negligible points advantage. As for performances at home, where Athletic traditionally plays quite well, this season the Basques have played thirteen matches at San Mames, achieving ten victories, two draws, and only one loss, which happened in the first round against Real Madrid.
Atletico Madrid: Just one victory in the last six matches!
Atletico Madrid has belonged to the very top of Spanish football for years, and the revival of the team from the capital is most credited to Diego Simeone. During his tenure in Madrid, Atletico managed to achieve two La Liga titles, two Europa League trophies, two UEFA Super Cups, and they also reached the Champions League final twice, unfortunately losing both times.
Last season was satisfactory, although there were no trophies, but the primary goal of qualifying for elite club competition has been achieved consistently over the years. During the summer, there were several very interesting transfers, however, the main player of the team from the capital is still Antoine Griezmann, who is slowly but surely becoming the emblem of the club.
At this moment, the former champions of Spain find themselves in fourth place in the table, with a three-point advantage over Athletic Bilbao, who will interestingly also be their opponent in the Copa del Rey semifinals. In the last round, Diego Simeone’s men played a very poor match and only managed to draw away at Almeria (2:2), a team that is already seen as relegated to the Segunda Division next season.
Generally, the club from the capital has not been doing well lately, as Atletico Madrid has achieved only one victory in the last six matches across all competitions, which was a convincing 5:0 home win against Las Palmas in the league. On the road to the Copa del Rey semifinals, the “Rojiblancos” managed to eliminate Real Madrid, thereby avenging their defeat to their city rivals in the Super Cup semifinals. Regarding the Champions League, it’s worth noting that the Spanish representative managed to advance to the knockout phase from the top of their group, with a four-point lead over the second-placed Lazio.
For the round of 16 of this elite competition, Simeone’s men were drawn against Inter Milan, and the first match between these two teams, played at Giuseppe Meazza, ended with a 1:0 victory for the Italian side, which is certainly not an insurmountable result. However, it must be acknowledged that the Spanish team did not shine in that first match, and it’s quite miraculous how the “Nerazzurri” didn’t win more convincingly against Atletico.
Lastly, the Madrilenians have played thirteen away games in the league so far, and it seems they have not excelled, as they have secured four victories, three draws, and suffered six defeats in that period.
Our suggestion
We are facing a very tough match to predict, but we believe that this time there won’t be many goals either, so we advise you to focus on the 0-2 goals game, for which 22Bet Nigeria has prepared an odds of 1.62.
Additionally, Bilbao rarely loses at their stadium, so there’s a good chance that the Basque pride will remain undefeated at their home ground again, which is why we recommend you to play the double chance 1X with an odds of 1.39 at 22Bet.
Finally, it’s very possible that this second leg of the Copa del Rey semifinal ends in a draw, so we boldly suggest you try with a draw (X) which 22Bet Nigeria pays with an odds of 3.15.
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