CD Mirandes of Spain’s Segunda Division has the chance to make history this week when they entertain La Liga’s Real Sociedad in the second leg of the Copa del Rey semifinal. Photo By @CDMirandes (Twitter).
- David vs Goliath match up in second leg of the 2020 Copa del Rey
- Real Sociedad head into the tie odds-on favorites but with only a slender first-leg lead
- A preview of the game below with best odds and picks
It’s Copa del Rey semifinal time in Spain this week with, first up, the second leg of La Liga high-flyers Real Sociedad versus Segunda División minnows CD Mirandés – Wednesday, March 4, KO 3pm ET.
Sociedad holds a slender 2-1 lead from the first leg and are still favorites to go through but the home side has been giant-killing all their way through the competition and will fancy their chances of doing it again.
Mirandes vs Real Sociedad Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total at BetOnline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mirandes | +0.5 (-111) | +260 | O 2.5, 3.0 (-110) |
| Real Sociedad | 0.5 (-109) | -109 | U 2.5, 3.0 (-110) |
| Draw | N/A | +245 | N/A |
All odds taken Feb 29.
Mirandes on Verge of History
Mirandes are potentially just 90 minutes away from their first-ever Copa del Rey final but they have to do it the hard way by overcoming a one-goal deficit.
If they can achieve this, it will be quite the fairytale given that as recently as 2018-19 they were plying their trade in the Spanish third tier, the Segunda División B. But now just Real Sociedad sits between them and a place in the final of Spain’s most prestigious cup competition.
To put the size of Mirandes as a club into perspective, their home stadium – the Estadio Municipal de Anduva – has a capacity of just 5,759 compared to the 39,500 capacity of Sociedad’s Reale Arena, which was full to capacity for the first leg.
It’s a task that’s far from beyond Mirandes who, en route to this semifinal, have beaten no less than three La Liga teams. Celta Vigo, Sevilla, and Villareal have all been put to the sword by the minnows from Anduva. While La Liga rules dictate that in one-off ties, lower league teams will be awarded home advantage, this mustn’t detract from the level of their achievement.
Mirandes the Giant Slayers
That Mirandes head into this one with just a single goal deficit shows that it’s not just at home where they can compete with the La Liga giants, but it’s on home soil where they excel.
In the first leg, in San Sebastien, it was the home team who were first to strike when, after just nine minutes, Mikel Oyarzabal put Sociedad ahead from the penalty spot after Odei Onaindia had fouled Portu. Oyarzabal gave Mirandes goalkeeper Limones – a hero in the previous rounds – no chance from the spot.
This Mirandes team simply refuses to be beaten in this competition though and were level on 39 minutes when striker Matheus Aias worked himself an opening before hitting a deflected shot that found the corner of the Sociedad net.
The visitors were only level for three minutes when Sociedad reasserted their authority through Martin Odegaard. His initial shot was saved by Limones, who also blocked the rebound from Portu, but he could do nothing to stop the Norwegian knocking in the loose ball.
Sociedad hoped to go on and put the tie to bed in the second half but it didn’t happen. Instead, there was little to choose between the two teams, with Mirandes looking menacing on the counter-attack. It still required some more heroics from Limones but he delivered as per usual and kept the Sociedad lead to just the one.
Mirandes vs Real Sociedad Head-to-Head Stats
| 6 | Copa del Rey games played 2019/20 | 6 |
| 10 | Goals scored in competition | 11 |
| 12 | Goals conceded in competition | 5 |
| 39 | Possession in first leg (%) | 61 |
| 10 | Shots in first leg | 9 |
| 3 | Corners in first leg | 5 |
| 18 | Fouls in first leg | 17 |
Damage Limitation Exercise
For Mirandes, the first leg was initially a damage limitation exercise – one that would enable them to stay in the tie and offer hope for the second leg – and in that regard, it was very much mission accomplished. They still have every chance of making the final – against the winner of Granada and Athletico Bilbao – particularly given the success they have enjoyed at the Estadio Municipal de Anduvan against La Liga opposition.
It is, however, hard to see them having enough defensively to stop Sociedad from scoring, meaning they will have to score twice, at the very least, to take the game to extra-time. But they’re capable, especially in the raucous but intimate surroundings of their home stadium.
This will be a difficult night for the La Liga outfit, and with Mirandes on the verge of creating history, the incentive is there for one more monumental effort against La Liga opposition. I can see them earning their place in the record books but it may well need extra-time and penalties. So, there is definitely value in the +260 for the Mirandes win but to make it more lucrative I’d also be looking at the correct score of 2-1 after 90 minutes.
Pick: Mirandes to win after 90 minutes (+245)
Once just a sports fanatic, fan-turned-writer Gary Gowers has been featured on European television and radio networks to discuss several professional football clubs. His work can be found in an assortment of publications like The Metro, MyFootballWriter.com, and BBC Radio Norfolk.
source https://casinonewsblogger.com/copa-del-rey-semifinals-leg-2/
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