Athletic Bilbao vs Atletico Madrid

A place in the Copa del Rey title-deciding fixture is on the line as Athletic Bilbao and Atletico Madrid meet in the return leg of their semi-final tie.

Athletic Bilbao ended a half-century wait for their first Copa del Rey triumph against Atletico Madrid, running out 1-0 victors in the first leg to post their first H2H win in this competition since 1956 (D1, L6). However, Bilbao’s dress rehearsal for this high-stakes encounter didn’t go to plan, as a 3-1 defeat at Real Betis prevented them from closing a three-point gap on their visitors in La Liga. Still narrowly outside the top four, Los Leones turn to their fifth consecutive Copa del Rey semi-final tie (W2, L2), buoyed by an eye-catching 14-game unbeaten streak in competitive home outings (W12, D2). That run includes a 2-0 league win against Atleti in mid-December, which forms part of their decent-looking six-game H2H form at San Mames (W4, D1, L1), increasing the likelihood of their progression into the big final.

On the other hand, Atletico Madrid’s first appearance in the Copa del Rey semi-finals since 2015/16 didn’t start well, yet their effort to lift the trophy for the first time since 2012/13 is still alive. But Atleti’s preparation for this fixture was disappointing as La Liga basement boys Almeria held them to a 2-2 draw. That result left them 13 points behind table-topping Real Madrid, while they’re already trailing Inter Milan 1-0 in their Champions League last-16 tie, meaning this is their best chance of lifting a piece of silverware this term. Overcoming a first-leg deficit without Antoine Griezmann could be an arduous task, but Diego Simeone’s men can turn to their impressive run of five wins from their last six Copa del Rey away games (L1) for inspiration.