Atletico get their frustration off their chest?
Simeone can breathe a sigh of relief. After four defeats in a row, “El Cholo’s” team won a match in the Spanish top flight for the first time since matchday 15 and thus made a successful start to the new calendar year. Before the next league match against Villareal, which points the way ahead, Simeone’s team will play a cup match during the week.
The “Rojiblancos” will face Rayo Majadahonda in the round of the last 32 and, as expected, are the clear favourites. Against the underclass cup opponents – Rayo play in the third division – Simeone’s team should not have too much trouble even with a potential second guard. Especially as Rayo Majadahonda is not one of the strongest third division teams anyway.
In the third-tier Primera RFEF, Rayo are “only” sixth in the table and have already conceded five defeats in 16 matchdays. In the cup competition, on the other hand, Rayo have benefited from the luck of the draw so far, winning two close 1-0 matches to reach the last 32.
Nevertheless, the third-division club has yet to face a team of Atlético’s calibre. It would therefore be more than surprising if the underdogs manage to reach the last 16 of the Copa del Rey. If you want to bet on Rayo Majadahonda vs. Atletico Madrid, you can get odds of up to 17.50 if the match goes well.
Rayo Majadahonda – Statistics & current form
Last time Rayo Majadahonda played their cup tie against Malaga was in the second week of December, and since then the third division side have been on winter break. League play in the Spanish third division will not resume until this weekend, but before that Rayo have a cup match against Atlético on the agenda.
In the last two cup rounds, head coach Abel Gomez’s team won against teams like Eldense and Malaga. Rayo won both cup games 1-0, which was not at all surprising given the “Majariegas'” manageable offensive quality. Raúl Sánchez is the only bright spot in Rayo’s attacking department.
The summer addition from the Leganes reserve team has already scored eight goals this season. However, as the lynchpin of Rayo’s attack, Sánchez was only on the bench in the last cup match against Malaga. It is possible that the youngster will be back in the starting eleven for the match against Atlético.
Will Rayo fail against Atlético’s defensive bulwark?
Nevertheless, even with Sánchez a goal against Atlético will be difficult to achieve. Already in the third division, Rayo scored only six goals in seven home games. Only relegation candidates like Tudelano and Zamora have scored fewer goals at home. Rayo have also only won two of their last five home games.
If, contrary to recent statistics, Rayo Majadahonda vs. Atletico Madrid manage to pull off a cup surprise, odds of up to 17.50 are paid for tip 1. Rayo have never reached the last 16 of the Copa del Rey in their entire history. Even the sixteenth final is currently a new milestone in the cup history of the third division club.
The only encouraging thing ahead of the match against Atlético is the host’s personnel situation. Head coach Abel Gomez can draw on a full complement of players against the top club from Madrid.
Predicted line-up of Rayo Majadahonda:
Fernandez; Lopez, Bernal, Casado, Osei; Garcia, Tassembedo; Gomez, Susaeta, Albiach; Sanchez
Last matches played by Rayo Majadahonda:
Copa del Rey
12/14 2021 – Rayo Majadahonda 1 – 0 Malaga
Primera Division RFEF – Group 1
12/11 2021 – Racing Santander 3 – 2 Rayo Majadahonda
12/05 2021 – Rayo Majadahonda 1 – 0 Logrones
Copa del Rey
12/02 2021 – Eldense 0 – 1 Rayo Majadahonda
Primera Division RFEF – Group 1
11/28 2021 – CF Talavera de la Reina 0 – 0 Rayo Majadahonda
Atletico Madrid – Statistics & current form
Substitute-weakened Atlético Madrid picked up an important win in the Spanish top flight last weekend, not only ending their current run of slip-ups but also moving past their recent opponents in the six-point game against Rayo Vallecano. In the meantime, “El Cholo’s” team is back in a starting position for the top flight.
The chances of winning the title, however, are still vanishingly small. After all, 14 points separate Atlético from city rivals and leaders Real Madrid at the start of the second half of the season. Nevertheless, with the Copa del Rey and the Spanish Super Cup, there are still realistic chances of winning at least one trophy on the national stage.
In the cup competition, the away game against Rayo Majadahonda is a must-win task. Although it cannot be ruled out that Simeone will spare some of his regular players for the cup match, the “Rojiblancos” should not find it too difficult against the underclass opponents. If they are successful, Atlético can also end their current cup woes.
No round of 16 again for Atlético?
In the last two seasons, the Madrid side have had to pull out of the competition twice, missing out on the round of 16 on both occasions. In the 2019/20 season, the cup adventure for the “Rojiblancos” ended in the round of 16 against Cultural Leonesa. Last season, however, Atlético bowed out of the cup competition in the second round against Cornella.
Nevertheless, this time a place in the last sixteen is a realistic prospect for the “Rojiblancos”. After all, Atlético have already won the Copa del Rey ten times. However, only one of the ten trophies can be attributed to “El Cholo” Simeone. Since the 2012/13 cup title, the Argentine has not been to the final with his team. The best result since then was the Copa del Rey semi-final.
The match at Rayo Majadahonda will be Atlético’s first cup match this season. In the rounds before, the “Rojiblancos” had benefited from a walk-through. If the Madrid side can successfully overcome the first cup hurdle, odds of 1.22 are paid on Rayo Majadahonda vs Atletico Madrid for tip 2. Simeone still has to do without a total of six players due to injury.
Predicted line-up of Atletico Madrid:
Lecomte; Vrsaljko, Felipe, Hermoso, Lodi; Serrano, Martin, Kondogbia; Cunha, Correa, Carrasco
Last matches played by Atletico Madrid:
LaLiga
01/02 2022 – Atletico Madrid 2 – 0 Rayo Vallecano
12/22 2021 – Granada 2 – 1 Atletico Madrid
12/18 2021 – Sevilla 2 – 1 Atletico Madrid
12/12 2021 – Real Madrid 2 – 0 Atletico Madrid
Champions League Grp. B
12/07 2021 – FC Porto 1 – 3 Atletico Madrid
Rayo Majadahonda – Atletico Madrid Direct comparison / H2H-balance
Rayo Majadahonda and Atlético Madrid meet for the first time
Rayo Majadahonda – Atletico Madrid Tip
The series of bankruptcies at the end of the year came at the worst possible time for Atlético Madrid. After “El Cholo” Simeone’s team secured their place in the last 16 on the international stage, the focus was on the championship battle in the Spanish top flight. Because Atlético conceded four defeats in a row, defending the title this season is probably only a pipe dream.
Nevertheless, the “Rojiblancos” still have two chances to end the season with a trophy on the national stage with the Super Cup and the Spanish Cup competition. In the Copa del Rey, the adventure for the Simeone eleven starts with an away game against Rayo Majadahonda, a club from the third-tier Primera RFEF.
The hosts have lost just one of their last five competitive matches, but there has been no opponent of Atlético’s calibre in that period. In the last two cup rounds, Rayo Majadahonda twice earned 1-0 victories over the likes of Eldense and Malaga. Therefore, it would be all the more surprising if a cup coup against Atlético succeeds with the rather weak offensive.
We expect a one-sided match, which will be clearly dominated by the guests from Madrid even before the second half. With a stake of six units, we place our bet on Rayo Majadahonda vs. Atletico Madrid at odds of 1.70 on HT/FT: 2/2.
