CP Cacereño vs Real Madrid Predictions & Match Preview

Real Madrid’s 2022/23 Copa del Rey campaign gets underway on Tuesday with a trip to Extremadura to take on minnows CP Cacereño. Carlo Ancelotti’s side will be expected to take care of business against 4th tier opposition.

CP Cacereño will be eyeing up what would almost certainly be the biggest upset in the competition’s history. They can take confidence from having knocked out top flight opposition in the last round with Girona deservedly beaten at the Príncipe Felipe and as a result, Cacereño are one of just two Segunda RFEF sides left in the competition.

Founded over 100 years ago, Cacereño are a historic club and they do have a bit of prior cup pedigree having also reached the Round of 32 a decade ago when they narrowly lost over two legs against Malaga. However, for a bit of perspective, they do play in a lower tier than Real Madrid’s reserve team and are currently just outside the play-off places in their section of the Segunda Federación.

Real Madrid have tasted their fair share of embarrassing Copa del Rey exits over the past couple of decades but never against fourth tier opposition. They have only won the competition in 2 of the last 30 seasons, not always taking the Copa del Rey as seriously as some clubs. In the aftermath of a World Cup and with Supercopa action also this month, Ancelotti is likely to give plenty of fringe players some minutes in the early rounds at least.

Los Blancos made a winning return after the long interval with a 2-0 triumph in a potentially tricky fixture at Real Valladolid at the weekend. Karim Benzema’s late brace was enough as Real Madrid moved level on points with Barcelona at the top of LaLiga. Benzema has not travelled to Caceres though with the likes of Thibaut Courtois, Toni Kroos, Luka Modric and Vini Junior also not part of the squad for this game.

Score Prediction: CP Cacereño 1-3 Real Madrid

This is an opportunity for the likes of Eden Hazard and Marco Asensio to produce a performance and Ancelotti will need some of his fringe players to step up if they are to avoid an awkward evening in Caceres. Overall though, Real Madrid should still have too much overall quality for their 4th tier opponents.

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