Sevilla vs. Real Madrid: 2017 Spanish Copa del Rey Leg 2 Live Stream, TV Info

Gianni VerschuerenJan 10, 2017

Sevilla and Real Madrid will play out the second of three clashes taking place in 11 days on Thursday, as the return leg of the Copa del Rey will go down at the Estadio Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan.

Los Blancos enter the match with a healthy three-goal lead, and with both teams set to face off again in La Liga on Sunday, Sevilla are expected to field a weakened side and conserve their energy for the weekend.

Sevilla's home stadium is a fortress, however, and while the three-goal advantage seems safe, manager Zinedine Zidane and his troops can't take their opponents lightly.

Preview

Both Real and Sevilla used a number of fringe players in the first leg, and Los Blancos' superior depth won out, as James Rodriguez scored twice on the way to a 3-0 win at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu.

MADRID, SPAIN - JANUARY 04: Adil Rami of Sevilla FC reacts with Marcelo of Real Madrid after he stopped Marcelo's attack during the Copa del Rey Round of 16 First Leg match between Real Madrid and Sevilla at Bernabeu on January 4, 2017 in Madrid, Spain.

Denis Doyle/Getty Images

The first leg was a one-sided affair, and facing a three-goal deficit, Sevilla are unlikely to push too hard on Thursday to try to change the outcome of the tie. The Andalucians sit second in La Liga―that competition is far more important this year.

Zidane and his troops also aren't expected to put too much stock into Thursday's match―the Frenchman and several others took time out of their schedule to attend FIFA's yearly award show earlier this week. This is what he had to say afterwards, per Real's official website:

"
What I take away with me is everything we achieved last year, but the most important thing is for us to continue working hard with the team and what I'm interested in is that we continue to play well.
The fact that so many of our players made the Team of the Year reflects well on the team and it's the result of our work day in, day out.
"

Per the club's official Twitter account, the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Toni Kroos and others also attended the gala:

All could sit out Thursday's match, with the likes of Rodriguez, Marco Asensio, Alvaro Morata and Isco expected to see the bulk of the minutes.

For Sevilla, Steven N'Zonzi, Vicente Iborra and Vitolo are some of the usual starters who could be rested with an eye on La Liga, giving players like Joaquin Correa and Wissam Ben Yedder another chance to impress.

Real Madrid's Colombian midfielder James Rodriguez (L) kicks a penalty during the Spanish Copa del Rey (King's Cup) round of 16 first leg football match Real Madrid CF vs Sevilla FC at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid on January 4, 2017. / AFP / GE

GERARD JULIEN/Getty Images

Sevilla are usually at their best when they get to disrupt passing moves in midfield, work the flanks and use their excellent athleticism to attack at pace. Against a Real team already leading by three goals, those tactics are almost useless, however.

Instead, expect the Andalusians to press early and attack without much care, knowing the result of this clash isn't nearly as important as Sunday's outing. It should lead to a far more open and entertaining match, and the perfect setup for when these teams meet again in a few days―this time at full strength, with everything on the line.