January 16, 2025. 10:30 p.m. Madrid. Santiago Bernabeu.
Copa del Rey 2024-25. Round of 16
Real Madrid – Celta Vigo
Absent due to suspension: None
Injured: Dani Carvajal, Eder Militao – Jailson, Iago Aspas, Alfon Gonzales
Unavailable for various reasons: Thibaut Courtois, David Alaba, Jesus Vallejo – Joseph Aidoo, Luca de la Torre, Tasos Douvikas
Real Madrid
In early December, Carlo Ancelotti’s side suffered a setback, losing 1-2 to Atletico Madrid in the El Clasico held in Bilbao for the postponed matchday 19 of La Liga. It was the Whites’ second defeat in the Spanish league, the first being a 0-4 humiliation against FC Barcelona in another El Clasico. Following this disappointing trip to the Basque Country, Real Madrid bounced back by winning seven of their last eight matches, only conceding points in a derby against Rayo Vallecano (3-3). Before the new year, the Whites found the net no less than three times in each match, with convincing victories against Girona (3-0), Atalanta (3-2) and Pachuca in the final of the Intercontinental Cup of the FIFA (3-0), as well as a home victory against Sevilla (4-2).
In the new year, Madrid continued their winning streak, first coming from behind to beat Valencia 2-1 away, scoring the decisive goal in the final minutes of injury time. This was followed by a crushing 5-0 victory over Deportivo Minera, with a team made up mainly of substitutes, and a comfortable 3-0 triumph over Mallorca in the semi-final of the Spanish Super Cup. However, despite the scoreline, the match was not without its difficulties, with Real scoring two of their three goals in added time. After that, they had another disappointing El Clasico, conceding five goals against Barca while only managing to score two, although Ancelotti’s side opened the scoring in that final.
Celta Vigo
The Galicians have often reached the quarter-finals of the Copa del Rey. Last season they were eliminated at this stage after a 1-2 home defeat to Real Sociedad. In the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons, Celta reached the semi-finals, famously eliminating Real in 2017. Their best result in the Copa del Rey was in 1948 when they reached the final but lost 1- 4 against Sevilla. In 1994 they fell to Zaragoza in a penalty shootout, and in 2001 they lost 1-3 to the same opponents in regulation time.
In the current tournament, Celta had an easy start, beating amateur team San Pedro 5-1 in the first round (with goals from Douvikas, Alfon Gonzales, Pablo Duran and Tadeo Aliende) and followed that with a victory even more convincing 7-0 against Salamanca in the second round. They triumphed thanks to doubles from Fernando Lopez, as well as goals from Wiliot Svedberg, Hugo Sotelo, Duran, Aliende and Carlos Dominquez. In the round of 16, Celta faced tougher competition in the form of Racing Santander, one of the best teams in La Liga 2 this season. The Galicians fell behind twice during the match but eventually managed to win 3-2, with remarkable performances from Alfon Gonzales, who scored twice, complemented by an own goal from Javi Castro .
Last week, the Celts suffered a difficult trip to Madrid, ending in a 1-2 defeat to Rayo Vallecano. Claudio Giraldez’s team struggled throughout the match. It’s a familiar story for Celta, especially in away games, where they have only won once away from home base, picking up a 1-0 victory against Las Palmas when they There were only nine players on the field. This time they will have to face Real Madrid, threatening the continuity of their recent successes.
Probable compositions: Real Madrid vs Celta Vigo
Real Madrid will be without Dani Carvajal and Eder Militao due to injuries. Carlo Ancelotti also left Thibaut Courtois, David Alaba, who appears unable to play after a serious knee injury, and Jesus Vallejo out of the squad for this encounter. Key players like Andriy Lunin and Vinicius Junior are expected to start, although Vinicius is suspended for the next two La Liga games. Other positions could see some rotation, with Antonio Rudiger having a good chance of retaining his starting spot, especially given he has no real alternative. However, rumors suggest that he is also suffering from knee problems and is fighting through matches through sheer willpower.
On the Celta side, they face notable absences, notably versatile player Jailson and attackers Iago Aspas and Alfon Gonzales. The absence of the latter two represents a significant loss for the right side of the attack. Additionally, central defender Joseph Aidoo, midfielder Luca de la Torre and striker Tasos Douvikas remain unavailable. All three could soon leave the club, with the first two being surplus to requirements, while Douvikas is actively seeking more playing time. Giraldez tries to convince the player to reconsider, but Douvikas seems determined in his choice.
Prediction
Real Madrid are currently on a nine-game winning streak against Celta, with the last defeat coming eight years ago in a Copa del Rey match at home. The next 14 clashes went in favor of the Whites, with three matches ending in draws (one of them taking place in Madrid). Carlo Ancelotti’s side have a lot to make up for in front of their home crowd as defeats against formidable rivals cannot go unnoticed. Real remains the favorite for this meeting, even if Ancelotti opts for rotation again. I don’t anticipate any surprises in this match, although Celta could show resilience and pose a challenge to their opponent. However, it is worth noting that Giraldez’s team generally performs worse away than at home, especially against stronger opponents.
