The draw hasn't exactly worked out the way fans might have liked, as two of Real Madrid, Atlético Madrid and Barcelona will be out of the Copa del Rey before the semifinals. At least they all play each other!
In recent years, the Copa del Rey has saved the best of the tournament for last. La Liga's top teams have avoided drawing each other for the majority of the tournament, setting up semifinals or finals between the teams at the top of the table. This year, the draw has worked out quite a bit differently.
Instead of waiting for the final, Atlético Madrid and Barcelona face off in the quarterfinals, with the first leg at Camp Nou on Wednesday. Atléti are through after eliminating Real Madrid in impressive fashion, downing Los Merengues with a 2-0 home win and 2-2 draw at the Bernabeu. That second game was most notable for the performance of Fernando Torres, who scored in the first minute of each half. He's been a revelation since arriving in Madrid for his second stint with the club, and is in the type of form he hasn't enjoyed since he played for Liverpool.
With fairly straightforward league games on the horizon, Atléti and Barca will probably put their best teams on the pitch in this match. Barca's away trip to Elche isn't a complete gimme, but Atléti will be very heavily favored to take all three points at home against Rayo Vallecano. Don't expect either team to rest any of their stars.
Barcelona injuries and suspensions
Out: Xavi, Douglas, Thomas Vermaelen, Jeremy Mathieu
Atlético Madrid injuries and suspensions
Out: Angel Correa, Cristian Ansaldi. In doubt: Tiago, Diego Godin
Match date/time: Wednesday, 4 p.m. ET, 10 p.m. local
Venue: Camp Nou, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
TV: beIN Sports (U.S. and Canada), beIN Sports en Español (U.S. - Spanish), Sky Sports 5 (U.K.), Canal+ (Spain)
Online: beIN Sports Connect (U.S. and Canada), Sky Go (U.K.), Canal+ (Spain)
Source SBNation.com - All Posts http://ift.tt/15yPuXQ
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