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Athletic Club faces Atletico Madrid in the second leg of their Copa del Rey semifinal tie. The Basques will enjoy the support of their home fans at San Mames, a venue that has been kind to them over the last 14 matches, as they have gone unbeaten during that span. Atletico Madrid has won just once in their last 5 away tries. Read on to access an expert Athletic Club vs Atletico Madrid prediction and explore stats and the latest Atletico Madrid odds in 2024.
- Athletic Club vs Atletico Madrid, Copa del Rey Semifinal, Second Leg
- February 29, 2024
- 3:30 PM EST
- San Mames, Bilbao, Basque Country, Spain
- ESPN+
Athletic Club vs Atletico Madrid Betting Odds
Athletic Club is slightly favored to advance to win at home and book their spot in the coveted Copa del Rey final. The club is tagged as a (+140) favorite, with Atletico Madrid not too far away at (+210). A draw can be bought at (+230), a short number for the market indicating the close nature of this semifinal match.
Copa del Rey 
Athletic Club +140 +140 +140 +140 Atletico Madrid +210 +200 +200 +210 Draw +230 +210 +210 +230
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Athletic Club Copa del Rey History
A goalless draw over Almeria and a 3-2 victory over Girona preceded the eventful loss, leaving the club outside the precious top 4 positions in La Liga. Those who occupy the top four spots earn qualification for the Champions League. Athletic’s cup tie against Atletico mirrors their contest in the La Liga table. Atletico is in 4th place currently, with Athletic Club just three points behind in 5th.
An appearance in the showpiece event of the Copa del Rey is at stake in this match, and the home team will hope to return for the first time since 2021. They have lost all 6 of their last finals appearances. One would have to retreat all the way back to 1984 to identify Athletic Bilbao’s last Copa victory. Yet hoisting their 24th Copa del Rey trophy remains a mere dream at the moment, as Athletic Club must focus on the task at hand.
Athletic Club Schedule and Results
A 25’ penalty from Alex Berenguer was the only difference between the two sides in the first leg of the semifinal. Athletic Club came out happy with the result, as the road win gave them a one-goal advantage as the clubs headed to Basque Country.
Bilbao spread the results evenly in the 3 outings to come. They were bested by Real Betis 3-1 on the bounce, an outcome decided by critical mistakes. Ernesto Valverde’s side booted one into the wrong net in the 38th minute, giving Betis the advantage.
It only took two minutes for another mortal error to occur in one of the “dumbest red cards ever,” according to witnesses. Nico Williams was booked twice in just 12 seconds, earning his way out of the pitch unceremoniously after a challenge on Betis’ Nabil Fekir. His sarcastic thumbs up gesture directed towards the head official, followed by applause, was met with a red card. The 21-year-old departed under the eyes of Arsenal scouts, who traveled down to Spain to judge Williams’ performance.
Atletico Madrid Recent Games
Atletico Madrid’s defeat to Athletic Club on February 7 was not to be their only troubles in the short month. Atleti have now won only one of their last 5 matches, losing thrice. Signs of smoke were noticed after a loss to Sevilla, but a bounceback performance against Las Palmas was to follow. After the 5-0 thrashing, Atletico were served a defensive masterclass by Inter Milan in the first leg of their Champions League knockout tie. The Serie A leaders shut out Atleti and managed to claim a victory after Marko Arnautovic’s late strike.
Even basement side Almeria gave Atletico Madrid issues in a 2-2 draw over the weekend. After Saturday’s frustrating result, Los Colchoneros have failed to win any of their last four away matches, and just two of their previous eight. The team’s worrisome performance in recent travels raises concerns as they head to San Mamés on Thursday. The visitors seek to reverse a first-leg deficit and secure a spot in the Copa del Rey final, aiming to achieve this for the first time since their victory in the competition 11 years ago.
Despite suffering two defeats to Los Leones this season, Atleti has advanced from each of their last three two-legged Copa del Rey ties against the Basque club. The most recent of these aggregate victories occurred in the 2013-14 season. However, in 17 encounters in the Copa del Rey, including two finals, Bilbao holds an 8-7 lead.
maintext=”Atletico Madrid” secondarytext=”To Defeat Athletic Club” partner=”XBet” odds=”+210″ ][/cta_betting]
Athletic Club vs Atletico Madrid Prediction and Free Betting Pick
Athletic aims to safeguard their slim lead from the initial leg of the semi-final matchup, drawing motivation from their impressive home track record. Bilbao has successfully avoided defeat in their last 14 competitive home games. Only a 2-0 loss to Real Madrid in their home opener has disappointed their Basque supporters this season.
Atletico Madrid’s poor run of form, especially on the road, is certainly a concern. Their home loss to Athletic will not evade their thoughts heading into this match either. To make matters worse, their top scorer Antoine Griezmann suffered an ankle injury against Inter Milan. His appearance on Thursday is in doubt.
With all this in mind, I think Basque Country will be celebrating earlier in the week than usual. I am looking to back Athletic Club, but do not feel so confident in a moneyline win. Since a draw earns them qualification to the final, I will go with the draw no bet (DNB) option. Take Athletic Club PK (pick ‘em) or DNB at (-134) for a half unit.
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