Levante vs Atletico Madrid predictions and match preview for Wednesday’s Copa del Rey fixture. Read on for analysis as Diego Simeone takes his team to Valencia.
| Date | Wednesday 18th January 2023 |
| Kick-Off | 21:00 (local time) |
| Stadium | Ciutat de Valencia |
| Competition | Copa del Rey |
Levante vs Atletico Madrid Preview
Atletico Madrid are in Valencia on Wednesday to take on Levante in the Copa del Rey. They are in real need of a long cup run to give their season meaning with little else left to play for. This won’t be easy though against second tier high flyers Levante.
Levante were known for their ability to upset the big boys during their lengthy stay in LaLiga under Paco Lopez. It all went wrong last season as they broke the Spanish top flight record for winless games and were ultimately relegated despite a much improved second half of the season. Their 2022/23 campaign in the Segunda Division started poorly but they have since recovered to mount a strong promotion challenge.
The appointment of Javier Calleja in mid October has proved a masterstroke. Levante are yet to lose under the guidance of the former Villarreal boss and are unbeaten in 17 games in all competitions heading into this. They defeated top flight Getafe 3-2 in Extra Time in the last round of the Copa del Rey and while securing promotion will be the priority, Levante certainly wouldn’t turn down a deep cup run and they could be dangerous opposition for Atleti here.
Diego Simeone will be well aware of the importance of the fixture and he has taken the Copa del Rey very seriously throughout the 2022/23 season so far. They came through a potentially tricky test away to second tier opposition in the last round, defeating Real Oviedo 2-0 but their league struggles have continued since then.
They performed reasonably well against Barcelona but still ended up on the wrong end of a 1-0 scoreline and followed that up with a 1-1 draw at Almeria. Atleti are still 4th in LaLiga and there have been a few more positive signs since the resumption, although it’s far from convincing still. They approach this game with reduced attacking options having let two forwards leave already this month while centre-back Jose Maria Gimenez is also an injury doubt.
Score Prediction: Levante 1-1 Atletico Madrid (Levante to Win on Penalties)
This has the potential to be a really tricky night for Atleti. Levante are unbeaten in more than 3 months and that will give them a degree of confidence that their opponents are missing right now. It’ll depend to some extent on what kind of XI Javi Calleja opts for, but if he takes it relatively seriously, Levante are capable of taking their top flight opponents the distance.
PLEASE NOTE – Our Copa del Rey predictions are not betting tips! No profits are guaranteed if you’re using them to bet on Spanish football. If you are gambling, do so responsibly and never stake more than you can afford to lose. BeGambleAware.
