Team News: Karim Benzema only makes Real Madrid bench

Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane has opted to start Alvaro Morata ahead of Karim Benzema for this evening's Copa del Rey clash with Sevilla.

Zidane, who celebrates a year in charge of Los Blancos today, is without the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale, Sergio Ramos, Pepe, Lucas Vazquez and Mateo Kovacic for the first leg of the last-16 clash.

That has forced the European champions to make five changes from the side that started the final of the Club World Cup, with Kiko Casilla, Nacho, Marco Asensio, James Rodriguez and Morata all coming into the team.

Sevilla, meanwhile, make no fewer than seven changes to the side that hammed Formentera 9-1 in their last match before the winter break.

Adil Rami, Vicente Iborra, Ganso and Joaquin Correa are the only players to keep their place as the likes of Sergio Rico, Samir Nasri, Steven N'Zonzi and Vitolo return to the starting lineup.

Wissam Ben Yedder and Luciano Vietto, both of whom scored hat-tricks in the Formentera rout, have to make do with places on the bench this evening.

Real Madrid: Casilla; Carvajal, Varane, Nacho, Marcelo; Casemiro, Modric, Asensio, Kroos, James; Morata Subs: Navas, Benzema, Coentrao, Mariano, Isco, Danilo, Odegaard

Sevilla: Rico; Mariano, Rami, Mercado, Escudero; N'Zonzi, Iborra, Nasri, Ganso, Vitolo; Correa Subs: Kranevitter, Vietto, Ben Yedder, Kiyotake, Sarabia, Pareja, Sirigu

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