The top three teams in Spain, Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Atletico Madrid will all be in action in the Copa del Rey Round of 16 on Thursday night (January 18). While Real Madrid will take on their local rivals Atletico Madrid in what is the standout fixture of the round, Barcelona will take on Primera Federacion – Group 1 side Unionistas de Salamanca. Continue reading to learn where you can watch the game in the United States.
Atletico Madrid Vs Real Madrid: Where To Watch & Match Prediction
Real Madrid will make the short trip to the Civitas Metropolitan Stadium for their Copa del Rey Round-of-16 meeting with Atletico Madrid on Thursday night. The game will kick off at 3:30 p.m. Eastern Time (ET).
No TV channel will carry the game in the United States but fans can catch it on ESPN+.
This will be the third Derbi Madrileno of the 2023-24 season. The two teams first met in La Liga back in September, which ended 3-1 in favor of Diego Simeone’s side. Their second meeting came earlier this month in the semi-final of the Supercopa de Espana. That game went to the All-Whites, with them securing a 5-3 victory after 120 minutes.
The match on Thursday could go either way, as both teams are packed with match winners. Real Madrid, who are on a seven-game winning run in all competitions, are the favorites to clinch it, but Atletico’s home advantage cannot be downplayed.
Prediction: We predict a narrow 2-1 victory for Carlo Ancelotti’s boys this week.
Unionistas de Salamanca Vs Barcelona: Where To Watch & Match Prediction
In the other standout game of the night, Barcelona will travel all the way to the 5000-seater Campo de Futbol Reina Sofia for their Copa del Rey Round-of-16 bout with Unionistas de Salamanca. This game is scheduled to kick off at 7:30 p.m. local time and 1:30 p.m. ET.
Just like the Real Madrid Vs. Atletico Madrid clash, Barcelona’s Round of 16 game will not be televised in the United States. Fans will have to log in to ESPN+ to stream the game live.
On paper, it seems like a one-sided affair. However, Barcelona’s lackluster performances this season make it an interesting watch for neutrals. The Blaugrana, who are currently in fourth place in La Liga standings, are coming into the game on the back of an embarrassing 4-1 defeat to Real Madrid in the Supercopa de Espana final. Underdogs Unionistas will look to add to Barca’s misery by putting on a strong show on Thursday.
Additionally, Salamanca has received a lot of rain in the last few days and the pitch will not be at its best behavior. Such conditions could make it trickier for Barca to play their natural game.
Prediction: While conditions are certainly against the Catalans, we are not anticipating an upset in the Round of 16. We expect Barcelona to produce a solid performance and secure a 3-0 victory.
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