Melilla vs Real Madrid Predictions

This Wednesday’s game in Spain’s Copa del Rey will be a strange one for many reasons for Real Madrid. It sees them travel to Melilla, a Spanish enclave on mainland Africa and they will do so without Julen Lopetegui, who was dismissed on Monday just 48 hours before this game. Real’s B team boss Santiago Solari has been appointed on an interim basis and will lead the team here.

The sacking of Lopetegui was one that everyone could see coming, even before a humiliating 5-1 defeat at Camp Nou in Sunday’s clasico. The result leaves Real having lost 5 of their last 7 in all competitions, winning just once. In ordinary circumstances, a side of Melilla’s pedigree should cause them no problems whatsoever but these clearly are abnormal times as Real continue their search for a new permanent boss.

Melilla will relish this rare opportunity to host a side of Real’s quality and it’s an opportunity that hasn’t come around too frequently. Indeed they’ve only ever reached this stage twice, most recently in 2012/13 when they actually beat top flight Levante at home before suffering a 4-1 defeat in the reverse. This is much more of a glamour tie though and it’s arguably the biggest night in the club’s history with Melilla currently 2nd in their section of the Segunda B.

You have to go back to the 1960’s for the last time they were even in the second tier of Spanish football so they will be determined to savour a night like this but it’s hard to see them getting a result. Real Madrid will be hungry to bounce back and restore some pride following their clasico loss, when they weren’t quite as bad as the 5-1 scoreline suggested. A new man at the helm should at least bring some fresh impetus and Solari is well respected and there should be no question of this team not playing for him.

There will inevitably be changes but a lack of squad depth isn’t really an issue that has contributed to Real Madrid’s struggles. They could bring in the likes of Marco Asensio, Lucas Vazquez and Mariano Diaz for example to form a totally new-look front three and that should be more than enough to cause plenty of problems for this Melilla defence.

Melilla have been pretty solid at the back and are going well in their league but it is worth noting the one exception to that, a 5-1 loss to Granada B a month back. Up against opposition of this calibre, there is a real danger they could quickly be found totally out of their depth, with few members of their squad having come up against top flight opponents before.

However the way Real Madrid have been defending, you wouldn’t bank on them not having the odd moment of panic in this one and a home goal can’t be ruled out by any means. Overall backing Real Madrid & Over 3.5 Goals looks good.