MADRID, 6 Ene. (EUROPA PRESS) –
FC Barcelona begins its journey in the 2023-2024 Copa del Rey this Sunday in the Huesca municipality of Barbastro, where UD Barbastro awaits, just as CA Osasuna will begin its journey in the tournament against Castellón, while Athletic Club , Real Sociedad, Valencia and Sevilla also examine their dream in the competition, in some round of 32 duels among which the Canarian derby between Tenerife and UD Las Palmas stands out.
The 'ko tournament' will be the protagonist in January and February, months in which it will define its finalists for next April 6 with the dispute of three single-match rounds (sixteenths, eighths and quarters) in the first month of the new year, and the semifinals, already a double match, in February.
In this round, the teams from the Spanish Super Cup, exempt from the first two qualifiers, are already entering the fray, with the turn this Sunday for Xavi Hernández's team. The Catalans face Barbastro, one of the two survivors of the Second RFEF in the draw, a match that the Catalans see as a balm against the doubts in the game that surround the team with the most trophies in this tournament (31).
The Municipal of Barbastro will be the headquarters this Sunday (9:00 p.m.) of the meeting of excitement for the locals. With the venue's 6,000 tickets sold out – double the usual amount thanks to extra stands – the Huesca municipality expects a party, whatever the result and despite the clear difference in category between both teams.
These round of 32 will be one more reason to dream for the locals, who are in the middle of the table in Group 2 of the Second RFEF, accumulating five games without losing (W4 and D1). Against Barça, they hope to repeat the 'machadas' against Ponferradina and 'Primera' Almería, of which they were executioners with both 1-0.
FC Barcelona, with one title (2021) in the last five editions, seems to have allayed doubts with the wins against Almería (3-2) and Las Palmas (1-2). Against the Canaries, in the 93rd minute and from a penalty they achieved three points suffered but forced to remain seven points behind the lead. A great distance that complicates their domestic title options, which is why the Cup becomes even more important.
The match in Barbastro will be an opportunity to give rest to the most regular players and give opportunities to those who usually appear from the bench in Xavi's lineups, such as Ferran Torres, Fermin López, Oriol Romeu or Lamine Yamal, although without much margin due to injuries. . The quarry will experience its first major official test and the Brazilian Vitor Roque will appear again, who already enjoyed his first minutes in Gran Canaria and could now be a starter.
EIBAR-ATHLETIC, MÁLAGA-REAL SOCIEDAD AND CARTAGENA-VALENCIA
As a participant in the imminent Spanish Super Cup, Osasuna also begins its cup dream in this round, and does so against Castellón in Castalia. The locals eliminated Cacereño and Real Oviedo previously and now face the runners-up of the competition, a 'Primera' challenge, while leading Group 2 of Primera RFEF. Both teams already met in this competition in 2004 with the 'rojillos' as winners in extra time (0-1).
Athletic Club, champion of the Cup on 23 occasions, will also play for its place in the round of 16. And he will do it in a Basque derby against Eibar in Ipurua, where he will measure his aspirations, which until now have been very high. And Ernesto Valverde's men, executioners of Rubí and Cayón, have gone 11 games without losing and occupy Champions League positions after a first round in which they only suffered three defeats, against FC Barcelona, Real Sociedad and Real Madrid.
Opposite will be an Eibar that is not experiencing its best moment – it has not won any of the last four League games – and only smiles in the Cup. Although in the previous tie it suffered more than expected against Melilla of Primera RFEF, needing penalties to stay alive.
Their neighbors from Real Sociedad, champion of the Copa del Rey in the 2020 edition, visit a Rose Garden this Sunday that will be packed to see Málaga again in a great event. After years of bad news and painful relegations, the locals, who won the last precedent in the First Division in 17-18, want to surprise and add arguments to continue their climb, now in promotion positions to 'Second'.
A 'txuri urdin' team that respects the Cup will not want any scares, as demonstrated by a call-up with hardly any youth players, and now without Take Kubo, Hamari Traoré, or Umar Sadiq, heading to the Asia Cup and Africa Cup. The Basques hope that they can return to the path of victory after four consecutive draws that have caused them to fall to sixth place in the League, somewhat out of the fight for the Champions League.
For their part, Cartagena and Valencia will meet again, as happened in 2022, in these round of 36s with Cartagonova as the setting. Rubén Baraja's men, champions in 2019, arrive at the crossroads, after their victories in the League over Rayo Vallecano (0-1) and Villarreal (3-1). Now they are looking to emerge alive from a venue in which the locals have only had one win this season, more concerned about ceasing to be the red lantern of 'Segunda', with salvation at 8 points.
Another of the great attractions on Sunday will be the Canary Islands derby between Tenerife and UD Las Palmas. A match in which emotions multiply and with much more at stake than the ticket to the round of 16, in the first cup derby of the two 'big boys' of the Canary Islands in almost 26 years.
The locals, at the moment close to the 'Playoff' positions in LaLiga Hypermotion, have only accumulated two defeats at home this season, and come from drawing against the leader of the category. A good moment that Las Palmas and their usual joy will examine, which has completed an exceptional first round, although it comes after two defeats and a draw as the most recent balance.
Other matches on Sunday will be those between Sevilla, champion in 2010, and Racing de Ferrol; or the Unionistas-Villarreal. While the also 'Primeras' Mallorca and RC Celta will cross paths with Burgos and Amorebieta.
–PROGRAM FOR SUNDAY, JANUARY 7 IN THE 1/16 OF THE COPA DEL REY.
Amorebieta – RC Celta 12.00.
Burgos – Mallorca12.00.
Castlelon – CA Osasuna
Racing de Ferrol – Seville16.00.
Unionists – Villarreal18.00.
Cartagena – Valencia19.00.
Eibar – Athletic Club 19.00.
Barbastro – FC Barcelona 21.00.
Malaga – Real Sociedad 21.00.
Tenerife – UD Las Palmas 22.00.