Cacereno vs Atletico Madrid

La Liga heavyweights Atletico Madrid take a routine-looking trip to Estadio Principe Felipe to face off against Cacereno in the Copa del Rey round two. 

Fourth-tier Cacereno needed extra time to see off Gimnastica Segoviana in the previous Copa del Rey round, setting up arguably the most high-profile match-up in club history. Despite facing long odds, Julio Cobos’ side will approach this fixture with optimism amid an inspiring four-match winning streak. Cacereno netted an average of 2.5 goals per game during that streak but will likely have to punch above their weight to maintain that prolific form against a more heavily fancied Atletico Madrid. The hosts can find comfort in their four-game unbeaten home run (W3, D1), especially after keeping a clean sheet in their last two such contests. 

Meanwhile, Atletico Madrid left it late to beat lower-league UE Vic in their previous Copa del Rey tie, bagging two unanswered goals beyond the 80th minute to reach the second round. Little did ‘Los Rojiblancos’ know that the win against sub-par opposition would prove a turning point following a patchy 2024/25 start, initiating a seven-game winning streak across all competitions. Diego Simeone’s side ran riot at the weekend, dispatching La Liga minnows Real Valladolid 5-0, only days after routing Sparta Prague 6-0 in the UEFA Champions League. Too hot to handle, the visitors leave Madrid in pursuit of a sixth consecutive away win, with four of their last five accompanied by a clean sheet.