Athletic seeks revenge against a Real Madrid that tests its solidity

Curiously, despite the Whites’ dominance in the rest of the competitions, in the Cup the ‘lions‘, which have added more titles, 23 -24 according to the accounts of the Basque club-, by 19 whites. However, this season both teams have met on three occasions and Real Madrid have won all three. At the Santiago Bernabéu (1-0), in Bilbao (1-2) and even in Saudi Arabia (0-2), in the final of the recent Spanish Super Cup final.

One of the most remembered clashes in Bilbao is the 1958 final. A game that had to be played at the Santiago Bernabéu, something that bothered Bilbao a lot, and in which the so-called “Eleven villagers” beat Real Madrid of Alfredo DiStefano that chained five European Cups. Tomorrow Athletic will enjoy, on this occasion for the sake of a draw, that privilege. To a game and in San Mamés.

This is not a small thing for a team that has started 2022 with a bang, with five wins, one draw and one loss in the seven games played. Although that defeat was against Ancelotti’s men. For the rest, an epic comeback against Atlético de Madrid in the semifinals of the Super Cup, 7 points out of 9 possible in three league games away from home (Osasuna, 1-3; Alavés, 0-0; and Rayo, 0-1) and a win after extra time against Barcelona in the round of 16 in “an unforgettable night”.

Athletic has recovered players who came to the league break with different physical problems, successively Asier Villalibre, Iker Muniain, Oihan Sancet -this is still in doubt-, Yeray Alvarez Y Oscar de Marcos. but not to unai winner, which is capital in its midfield. Some of them, Muniain for sure and De Marcos likely, will enter a starting eleven in which the doubts are whether he will play Mikel Vesga u Oier Zarraga beside Danny Garcia in the double pivot, and if Marcelino will dare from the beginning with the promising Nico Williams.

the little one of the williams He is a player of speed and overflow who was already key in the comeback against Atlético de Madrid in the Super Cup and in the victory two weeks ago against Barcelona, ​​in the Cup in a match with a similar profile to that of Thursday.

Real Madrid wants the Copa del Rey. Launched in La Liga Santander Going for the title and after winning the first success of the season in the Spanish Super Cup, Ancelotti must make decisions that show ambition or caution. Pending the status of the South American players who played with their national teams and come from a long journey without rest and without pure left-backs due to Ferland Mendy’s injury and Marcelo’s suspension.

Since his return to the ‘white house’, Ancelotti has always attached importance to the Copa del Rey. To heal the wound Alcoy (1-3) gave minutes against Alcoyano to starters such as Alaba, Militao, Casemiro, Kroos or Marco Asensio. It was a message that he confirmed at the Martínez Valero when the difficulty grew against a Primera in a single-match tie, in which he needed extra time and a feat, coming back with a man less after Marcelo’s expulsion, to access the quarterfinals .

It was proof that there is hunger in the Madrid squad after a blank year and the draw provided a new challenge. The special atmosphere of San Mamés awaits a Real Madrid that will have to show its best virtues to access the semifinals, leave in oblivion the signs of physical fatigue that he left before the break, giving up a draw at the Bernabéu against his last cup victim, Elche.

The decisions of ‘Carletto’ begin in the goal where the greatness of the duel points to the premiere in the competition of Thibaut Courtois to the detriment of Andriy Lunin. In defense, the adjustments will come with the return of Dani Carvajal to the right side and the forced novelty on the left, orphan of specialists without Mendy or Marcelo or the option of throwing the youth squad Miguel Gutiérrez. Between David Alaba and Nacho Fernández the chosen one will come out, with the extra offensive contribution of the Austrian as an important point to be assessed by the coach.

Despite the fact that Casemiro rested the last game with Brazil, he will value the fatigue of his player Ancelotti to opt for the Brazilian or put the physique of Eduardo Camavinga. In attack, he winked at the youth of Vinícius, who seems able to withstand everything and be a starter after playing for an hour two days ago. He would leave Eden Hazard on the bench who in San Mamés, also with many Real Madrid casualties in the League, completed his best game of the season.