Fixture: Atletico Madrid vs Las Palmas
Competition: Copa del Rey 2016-17
Date: Tuesday, 10th January, 20:15 GMT
Stadium: Estadio Vicente Calderon (Madrid).


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Atletico Madrid have a comfortable 2-0 lead to take into this match following victory in the Canary Islands last week. They therefore have one foot in the last eight and there should be no hiccups really and the hosts look likely to rack up another solid win on the night here.

Diego Simeone surprised a few people by naming his strongest possible eleven last week. Perhaps his side’s struggles in La Liga have forced him to prioritise the cup competitions and they certainly look like they will be strong contenders to win this competition. His team do come here in better form though overall with wins in all of their last 4 matches, 2 of which have been against Las Palmas. The Argentine has been experimenting a bit tactically of late and it seems to be working, with Fernando Torres leading the line in a rejigged formation as Atleti won 2-0 at Eibar on Saturday.

El Nino could get more game-time here while Kevin Gameiro should earn a recall and he will have something of a point to prove having been dropped for the trip to the Basque Country. The Frenchman could be a good bet to score anytime as at some point Las Palmas are going to have to go for it and that should leave holes at the back for Atleti’s forwards to exploit.

Las Palmas are a naturally attacking team with the league games this term averaging exactly 3 goals per game. Away from home though they tend to struggle badly and have been conceding far too many goals and not picking up enough points. 62% of their away league matches have ended in defeat and they’ve conceded 2 goals per game on average on their travels.

The Gran Canaria side rested several players in the 1st Leg which made it pretty clear they are prioritising the league, even though they are nestled in mid-table. With a 2-0 deficit and a tough trip to the capital, it seems certain they will leave numerous players out again here and that could see them end up on the end of a relatively heavy defeat with Atleti boasting a bit more strength in depth these days.

Certainly Diego Simone’s side should have too much quality for their opponents and they will probably feel they have enough of a lead to leave some of their more experienced defenders, like Diego Godin out, which should give Las Palmas a bit more space in the final third so a visiting goal can’t be ruled out. Therefore, backing Atletico Madrid to win & over 2.5 goals at 10/11 looks a decent punt here.

Atletico Madrid VS Las Palmas Preview
Pick: Atletico Madrid to Win