Coppa Italia holders Napoli held Atalanta to a 0-0 draw in their semifinal, first leg on Wednesday as David Ospina proved decisive with two important saves.
The side from the region of Aragon can be backed at 6/1 (7.00) with bet365 to record what would be their first ever win over Los Blancos, while Zidane's men are priced at 4/9 (1.44) and the draw. Get a report of the Napoli vs. Atalanta 2020-21 Italian Coppa Italia, Semifinals football match. Open Account Offer. Up to £100 in Bet Credits for new customers at bet365.
The visitors produced the better chances in Naples but couldn't find a way past the Colombian goalkeeper, who reacted sharply to block dangerous efforts from Matteo Pessina and Luis Muriel either side of the break.
Napoli coach Gennaro Gattuso opted for a new 3-4-3 formation, but his side struggled to carve out opportunities in the unfamiliar system and could only muster two shots on target to Atalanta's six.
'Today the collective did well,' Ospina told Rai Sport.
'We knew it would be a very difficult game against a team that plays very well. We did our job, always thinking about winning.'
The two sides face off in the second leg in Bergamo on Feb. 10 and Juventus or Internazionale await in the final, with the Turin club in charge of that tie thanks to a 2-1 first-leg win at San Siro on Tuesday.
Gattuso complained after Sunday's 2-0 Serie A win over Parma of being 'slaughtered' by the media and expressed his disappointment at the speculation over his future that followed back-to-back defeats to Juventus and Hellas Verona in January.
But his side failed to impress at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona as Atalanta created the better chances.
Ospina rushed out to block a Pessina effort with his leg before Rafael Toloi cleverly found space in the box only to poke his finish wide.
The Colombian rushed off his line to smother Muriel's finish early in the second half and the goalkeeper was alert again to hold a glancing header from his compatriot Duvan Zapata.
Atalanta defender Cristian Romero picked up a booking that rules him out of the second leg through suspension, while Napoli midfielder Diego Demme had to be taken off on a stretcher after the ball struck him in the face.
Real Madrid travel to the Estadio El Alcoraz to face Huesca in La Liga, with Zinedine Zidane's side knowing only a win will suffice on Saturday afternoon.
The defending champions were beaten 2-1 at home by Levante last weekend, a result which saw them drop 10 points behind leaders and rivals Atletico Madrid, who have a game in hand.
Huesca, meanwhile, recorded their first away win in La Liga for two years last weekend, with that victory seeing them move to within three points of safety despite remaining bottom of the table.
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Huesca vs Real Madrid Latest Odds
Indeed, the hosts have won just two of their 21 league matches this season and were beaten 4-1 when they visited Real Madrid earlier this season.
The side from the region of Aragon can be backed at 6/1 (7.00) with bet365 to record what would be their first ever win over Los Blancos, while Zidane's men are priced at 4/9 (1.44) and the draw at 7/2 (4.50).
Huesca vs Real Madrid Team News
Eder Militao is suspended and Eden Hazard is out after the club confirmed on Wednesday the Belgian has a thigh injury, whilst Dani Carvajal, Rodyrgo and Fede Valverde are still recovering from their injuries.
La Liga's bottom club for their part have doubts over midfielder Pedro Mosquera and striker Sandro Ramirez.
Huesca vs Real Madrid Preview
Zidane's side will be aiming to begin a decisive month in positive fashion, with the return of the Champions League at the end of February providing the focus for what is realistically the side's main hope of silverware.
A good performance on Saturday could prove to be the springboard for a recovery in morale and while retaining their La Liga title looks improbable, Real will feel they can still end the season strongly.
Los Blancos have lost just one of their last 16 away league games and have picked up more points on the road than in their own stadium this season, which bodes well ahead of a trip to a side who have failed to score in six of their last 10 home league matches.
Despite their poor run of form in January, Madrid should be backed to claim a much-needed win this weekend against the side that have been bottom of the table for longer than any other team this season.
Huesca vs Real Madrid Tips and Predictions
Real Madrid to win and score over 1.5 goals is priced at 3/4 (1.75) and looks like a good angle from which to back the visitors this weekend.
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