We just Imagine Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti at his office talking to himself. “Winning the Super Cup, check.”
Now it’s time for the club to focus on the Copa del Rey, a competition Los Blancos haven’t won since 2014. Their opponent Thursday in the Round of 16 is an inspired Elche, who haven’t lost in their last four games.
Los Blancos are offering a -190 price in the sportsbook, but Elche have been considerably better when playing at home.
Elche Vs Real Madrid 2022 Copa Del Rey Round of 16
Elche on a Roll
Elche deserves to be the betting online underdog, but that didn’t matter in their last two games. Los Franjiverdes took down Espanyol, 2-1, and Villarreal,1-0. In both cases, they were offering a +400 price.
For the Copa del Rey Round of 16 against Real Madrid, they’re listed at +525. That’s tempting, considering they’re playing at the home venue where they haven’t lost since late November.
Regarding the domestic side-tournament, Elche began their journey in the first round, beating Leioa, 2-0. Los Franjiverdes then defeated Unionistas de Salamanca,1-0, before handling Almeria, 2-1.
Guido Carrillo is the team’s top scorer in the tournament with two goals. Elche faced the first three rounds with an alternative lineup, but that’s something we don’t recommend against a powerhouse. Winning the Copa del Rey is Elche’s best shot at winning something, after all.
Their last match against a powerhouse was a good one. Elche lost to Barcelona, 3-2, but offered a lot of resilience. Barca was ahead, 2-0, before Elche managed to even the score in the second half. Nico Gonzalez scored the winning goal with five minutes left on the clock.
No major injuries to report here. Elche predicted lineup: Edgard Badia; Antonio Barragan, Gonzalo Verdu, Diego Gonzalez, Johan Mojica; Tete Morente, Omar Mascarell, Gerard Gumbau, Pere Milla; Guido Carrillo, Lucas Perez.
Real Madrid Highly Motivated
As if commanding the La Liga standings wasn’t sufficient, Real Madrid earned extra motivation by winning the Super Cup. Los Blancos defeated Barcelona, 3-2, in the semifinals and Athletic Bilbao, 2-0, in the Grand Finale.
“We’re strong enough to fight for everything. We can play in different ways and that’s this team’s strength. We’ll do our best to win the next trophy,” said Ancelotti to the press.
The next trophy would be the Copa del Rey, in which Real Madrid have played only once. They had no trouble beating Alcoyano, 3-1, in the Round of 32. Eder Militao, Marco Asensio and Jose Figueras (own goal) scored.
The Super Cup meant a great physical effort, especially in the semis because the game went to overtime. With that in mind, expect Ancelotti to rearrange the roster. Militao can’t play (suspension9, while Asensio, Mariano Diaz, Dani Carvajal and Jesus Vallejo are injured.
There’s nothing changing the fact that Madrid deserves control of the soccer lines, not even playing on the road. In fact, they’ve won one more game on the road than at home. Also, they’ve drawn only once (three at Santiago Bernabeu).
Real Madrid predicted lineup: Thibaut Courtois; Lucas Vazquez, Nacho, David Alaba, Marcelo; Isco, Federico Valverde, Toni Kroos; Rodrygo, Eden Hazard, Karim Benzema.
Elche vs Real Madrid Head to Head
- Previous Matches: 47
- Elche Victories: 6 (43 goals)
- Real Madrid Victories: 30 (116 goals)
- Draws: 11
Their first meeting of the season was also in Elche, won by Real Madrid, 2-1. Vinicius Junior was the Man of the Match after scoring twice, while Milla scored for the home side. Elche finished the game with 10 players after Raul Guti got a red card.
Los Blancos haven’t lost to Elche in their last seven meeting (6-1-0). If there’s somethin expected here, it’s goals. The total went over in five of those games and they haven’t drawn, 0-0, since the 1967-68 season.
Elche vs Real Madrid Information
- Date: Thursday, Jan. 20th
- Time: 1:00 p.m. ET
- Location: Estadio Martinez Valero, Elche, ES
- Elche vs Real Madrid Live Stream: fuboTV
| Team | Handicap | Moneyline | Total | Team Total |
| Elche | +1 -110 | +525 | 2½ -135o | ½ -170o ½ +140u |
| Real Madrid | -1 -120 | -190 | 2½ +105u | 1½ -170o 1½ +140u |
| Draw | +310 |
Elche vs Real Madrid Prediction
We expect another close game. Real Madrid are the better team, but Elche are used to playing great games against the powerhouses. Plus, we’re talking about a one-game series, so no tomorrow for the loser here. Thus, both sides are going all-in.
That’s why we recommend including the over in your soccer picks, since the teams each average more than 1½ goals per game. Madrid’s experience and depth make the difference.
Score Prediction: Real Madrid 2, Elche 1
