With European competitions not returning until February, January serves as the month of domestic cup competitions for European sides.
This week primarily sees England, Italy and Spain’s domestic cup competitions taking place, and we’ve focused on Italy and Spain’s games as picked out our top tips and booking codes for the upcoming action.
Fiorentina to win, 2.20
Making up the first of four Coppa Italia quarter-finals over the next three days sees Fiorentina host Bologna at the Stadio Artemio Franchi. Just one point separates these two sides at the mid-way point of the Serie A season with both teams in a fight to finish in the top four and secure UEFA Champions League qualification come the end of the season. However, this will be at the back of their minds coming into this one with the focus turning purely on making it through the quarter-finals as they hunt for silverware.
With Fiorentina coming so close to winning the competition last year, eventually falling 2-1 to Inter at the last hurdle, they will be hoping to make it back-to-back finals and go one better as they look to lift the trophy for the first time since 2000/01. Bologna will also be fancying their chances after they knocked out holders Inter in the last round, but with just two away wins in all competitions this season it may turn out to be a difficult task to progress.
While this is likely to be a close game between two sides having very similar seasons, Bologna’s poor away form combined with Fiorentina’s home form that has seen them lose just twice at home this season, makes us believe Fiorentina will progress through to the semi-finals.
Real Madrid to win, 2.06
Real Madrid vs Atletico Madrid
The first of two Super Cup semi-finals sees Real Madrid face city rivals Atletico Madrid in the first of three derby matches in the space of a month.
Atletico Madrid won 3-1 in the previous encounter between these two sides, but this remains as Real Madrid’s only defeat of the season with them embarking on a 19-game unbeaten run since that defeat. In comparison, Atletico’s form has been extremely inconsistent as they come into this game with two losses and two wins in their last five games.
Encounters between these two sides typically end up in hard-fought encounters and we expect this one to be no different, but with the scintillating form Real Madrid currently find themselves in it’s hard to bet against them winning this one.
Romelu Lukaku to score anytime, 3.50
Making up the second Coppa Italia quarter-final is Lazio and Roma who, similarly to Fiorentina and Bologna, are separated by just a single point in the Serie A this season.
Lazio come into this game in very streaky form as they won the first three of their last nine, went winless in the following three before then winning their last three games again. Roma come into this game in a very similar situation as they have alternated between winning and losing/drawing for all of their last 10 games.
One thing that has been consistent this season though is Romelu Lukaku’s goals with the Belgian forward netting 14 goals in 23 appearances this season, including four in his last six games. Alongside Roma being the third highest scoring team in the league this season, we believe Romelu Lukaku will score once again in this game.
Top Booking Code: 5ZHMLYL
Coppa Italia: 5ZHMRJN
