The second leg of the Copa del Rey match between Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid is in the books and Twitter went crazy over the resurgence of Fernando Torres, who exploded with two goals for Atletico and Chelsea fans grew sick just watching.
FACT: Fernando Torres scored the fastest goal in the history of Atletico at the Bernabeu (46 sec)! pic.twitter.com/VmQUKrBGOC
— Just Football (@JustFutball) enero 16, 2015
At any rate, both Madrid and Atletico are still very much in competition for top spot in La Liga with only three points separating first from third in the standings. Real Madrid holds a game in hand on both Barcelona and Atletico at this point and it will be interesting to see how all three teams fare as none of them wants to stumble with important points on the line versus lesser competition this Sunday. It should very much be a by-the-book type of weekend in La Liga but the games aren’t played on paper.
Getafe vs. Real Madrid – Sunday, 6:00 AM ET
La Liga Odds: Real Madrid -507, Getafe +1211, Draw +533
Getafe’s recent struggles have been well documented as they have yet to secure three points in any game over nearly a month. Over that span, they have just two draws to show for four games between La Liga and the Copa del Rey. The schedule is about to get a lot more difficult beginning this weekend versus a Real Madrid team that is fired up following the Copa del Rey battle with Atletico. They’ll be focused on doing what it takes to earn a league title and Getafe should be nothing more than a speed bump. A loss to Valencia two weeks ago has added an element of urgency for a Real side that is too talented to continue to cough up points, and it will be interesting to see how they respond this weekend. Chances are that this is a flattening – as the odds indicate. Pick: Real Madrid
Atletico Madrid vs. Granada – Sunday, 11:00 PM ET
La Liga Odds: Atletico Madrid -671, Granada +1873, Draw +573
Atletico returns home following its match with Real Madrid only three days earlier but that is more than enough time to regroup and prepare for a Granada team that has been buried at the bottom of the La Liga table. With just two wins and eight draws through 18 league games, it is surprising that Granada is still just two points back of climbing out of the relegation zone. A trip to the Vicente Calderon isn’t going to do anything to help their chances – especially given Torres’ revival. His return home has fired up the Atletico faithful.
https://vine.co/v/OjBvx7wFEqu
The urgency that Atletico will face the rest of the way will only add to its resolve and it should be fun to watch Mario Mandzukic and company showcase their world-class talent in what should end up being a lopsided affair. Pick: Atletico Madrid
Deportivo La Coruna vs. Barcelona – Sunday, 12:45 PM ET
La Liga Odds: Barcelona -757, Dep La Coruna +1727, Draw +661
With rumors of Lionel Messi’s potential exit swirling, Camp Nou paid close attention to the Copa del Rey competition between Atletico and Real. They didn’t have much to worry about this week themselves as they took care of its own business versus Elche on Thursday. Messi isn’t going anywhere in the immediate future and with the big three of Messi, Neymar, and Luis Suarez clicking up front, the Spanish giants are as dangerous as any other team in Europe right now. Barcelona is just a single point back of Real for top spot in the league table but with their rivals holding a game in hand, they can’t afford to slide any further. Even if the Messi circus has served as a distraction, the entire team would have to get food poisoning to blow this layup. Like Atletico, they should have no problem taking down an opponent that is currently treading water just above the relegation zone. Pick: Barcelona
