Real Madrid kick off 2017 with a blockbuster clash, as the newly-crowned world champions return to action with an extremely tough-looking Copa del Rey round-of-16 bout against Sevilla. The Whites today face the first leg at the Santiago Bernabéu, with Zinedine Zidane's charges aiming to take an advantage into next Thursday's testing second-leg encounter at the Sánchez Pizjuán (9:15pm CET).
Zidane has named a 19-man squad for the clash, as he bids to see his side extend a run of form which has seen them go 37 games unbeaten and end the year as world champions in Yokohama. The Whites now have to continue on in the same vein, a sentiment echoed by the French coach in the build-up:
"We return to action and are raring to win the game, it'll be a great match and Sevilla are a very competitive team". The sides' head-to-head record really couldn't make for any more positive reading, with the Whites having prevailed in each of their last 6 Copa del Rey knockout ties against the Andalusians: in 1959, 1968, 1979, 1983, 2004 and 2011.
Indeed, today the Whites' coach celebrates his first year in the Real Madrid hot seat. Three titles (the Champions League, UEFA Super Cup and Club World Cup) and several records (longest run of successive wins in La Liga, the club's best-ever start to a campaign and the longest undefeated streak…) are all testament to his success. His statistics are enviable: just two defeats in his 53 games at the helm.
The competition's top two scoring sides go head-to-head
The Bernabéu today plays host to the Copa del Rey's top two scoring sides. Sevilla netted 14 times in their tie against Formentera (five of which came from the competition's leading scorer, Wissam Ben Yedder), whilst the madridistas notched 13 goals in their two games with Cultural Leonesa (Mariano chipping in with four of these). Coming in behind both teams is Atlético, who have hit 10 goals.
REAL MADRID SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Navas, Casilla and Yáñez.
Defenders: Carvajal, Varane, Nacho, Marcelo, Coentrão and Danilo.
Midfielders: Kroos, James, Casemiro, Asensio, Modric, Odegaard and Isco.
Forwards: Morata, Benzema and Mariano.
HALA MADRID!!!
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