Atlético Madrid - Real Madrid live online: lineups, score, stats & updates, Copa del Rey Round of 16

COPA DEL REY

Unionistas - Barcelona live online: score, stats and updates, Copa del Rey round of 16

Ahead of kick-off at the Metropolitano, we’ve got Unionistas taking on Barcelona in a potential ban-arça skin game…. Get it? It works better when spoken, so say it out loud.

Anyway, the fantastic Unionistas get to welcome the Catalans to their Salamanca home in a Copa del Rey tie that Xavi does not want to mess up.

The boss of the blaugrana has been under significant pressure since his Clásico drubbing last Sunday and since then he’s been licking his wounds and hiding under a sheet of corrugated iron as the shells rain down on his head.

Who's the ref?

Oh no! The referee for this game is, checks notes, Señor Guillermo Cuadra Fernández.

This is terrible for your team, right? No.

Cuadra Fernández is a 40-year-old referee from the Madrid region who is overseeing today’s tie. It’s his first time as the main official in a Madrid derby although he was in charge of the VAR in the league game earlier in the season.

This time round, the lucky human in charge of the VAR duties is none other than Señor Pablo González Fuertes.

REAL MADRID XI CONFIRMED:

Carlo Ancelotti has confirmed his Real Madrid starting XI for the game.

GK: Lunin

DEF: Carvajal - Rüdiger - Nacho (c) - mendy

MID: Camavinga - Valverde - Modric - Bellingham

ATT: Vini Jr - Rodrygo

COPA DEL REY

Atletico Madrid - Real Madrid: times, how to watch on TV, stream online | Copa del Rey

If you fancy watching the Game on your TV or streaming device, then check out this handy guide with everything you need to know.

The stage is set!

We are not in Saudi Arabia anymore, Toto. Thank your deity of choice that the Middle Eastern excursion is over for another year and we’re back in the delightful Spanish capital, playing Spanish football.

The Cívitas Metropolitano is the wonderful home of Los Rojiblancos and is the host of today’s bumper tie between these two beasts of the beautiful Game. 

The 70,000-seater ground was taken over by Atlético Madrid in 2017 as they left their Vicente Calderón home at the other end of the city.

Team news: Atlético Madrid

Cholo Simeone’s side are all fit and Healthy apart from ThomasLemar, who remains out with an achilles injury.

The other absence is Reinildo, who is away on AFCONduty with the mighty Mozambique.

Team news: Real Madrid

The team news at this stage of the season for Los Blancos is as follows: Lucas, Courtois, Militão and Alaba are all still out, while Rodrygo has made the squad despite a little scare earlier in the week when the winger was spotted training alone.

Didn't these two teams just play each other?

No dear reader, you have not pressed the wrong button in your DeLorean, this is in fact a Madrid derby that has nothing to do with the one played just a few days ago: that was the Spanish Super Cup and this is the Copa del Rey, a fixture quirk brought up by nothing other than the Football fixture supercomputer.

Just wait till you see who plays who on February 4...

Welcome!

Hello and warm welcome to the AS USA live text coverage of the game between Atlético Madrid and Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey Round of 16! 

It’s Joe here to bring you all the live build-up as well as the minute by minute coverage and all the fallout of this derbi madrileño!