Why Barcelona and Real Madrid are playing fourth-tier clubs in Copa del Rey draw

Barcelona and Real Madrid will travel to fourth-tier sides Barbastro and Arandina in the round of 32 in the Copa del Rey.

Barbastro and Arandina are the final teams left in the competition from Segunda Federacion — the fourth step of Spanish football. They will face record holders Barcelona and reigning champions Real Madrid respectively for a place in the round of 16.

Barbastro are based in the north-east of Spain and their stadium holds 5,000 fans. Arandina are from the north-western town of Aranda de Duero and their ground holds 6,000.

“This is madness,” said Arandina captain Carlos Alonso, known as Zazu.

“We all hope we can play here in Aranda, the city deserves it. We deserve it, we’re not having a very easy year. What we’re going to live is a dream so we’re very happy.”

Atletico Madrid will be hosted by Primera Federacion (third-tier) side Lugo while last season’s runners-up Osasuna will face Castellon, also from the third step of Spanish football.

The ties are set to take place over the first weekend of 2024, January 6-7, before the Supercopa de Espana in Saudi Arabia from January 10-14.

Villarreal and Real Sociedad will face third-tier Unionistas de Salamanca and Malaga respectively. Ten La Liga sides have been drawn with second-division opponents and there will be a Basque derby between Eibar and Athletic Bilbao.

💥¡¡ARANDA SE VUELVE LOCA!!
😮La @ArandinaCF se medirá al @realmadrid en dieciseisavos de #CopaDelRey
Apenas le salen palabras al capitán… No es para menos
🔴EN DIRECTO en Teledeporte y RTVE Play
— Teledeporte (@teledeporte) December 12, 2023

Why have Barcelona and Real Madrid not been involved until now?

Barcelona and Madrid are entering at this stage because of their involvement in the Supercopa de Espana — Spain’s equivalent of the Community Shield which is being played in Saudi Arabia for a third consecutive year.

Since 2020, the Supercopa has been played as a mini-tournament featuring four teams. Atletico and Osasuna are the other two sides involved so they will also be joining at this stage.

Who are the Copa del Rey holders?

Real Madrid are the Copa del Rey holders after they beat Osasuna 2-1 in last season’s final. A Rodrygo brace cancelled out a stunning Lucas Torro effort from distance as Osasuna failed to win their first major trophy (they had previously finished as runners up in 2005).

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Barcelona were knocked out of the semi-finals by Real Madrid after a Karim Benzema-inspired comeback in the second leg at the Camp Nou. Carlo Ancelotti’s team knocked out city rivals Atletico Madrid in the quarter-finals.

What is Barcelona and Real Madrid’s record in the competition?

Barcelona are the record Copa del Rey champions with 31 titles. Their last success was in 2021, when Lionel Messi scored twice in a 4-0 win against Athletic Bilbao — the Argentine’s last trophy with Barca before his departure on a free transfer to Paris Saint-Germain.

Real Madrid’s victory last season was their 20th in the competition, but before that they had only won the Copa del Rey twice in 30 years. They are third in the all-time list of winners, behind Athletic Bilbao on 23.

Real Madrid have suffered some embarrassing defeats in the competition.

They were beaten by Deportivo La Coruna at the Bernabeu in 2002 on the occasion of their centenary celebrations and have been knocked out by lower-league opposition on a few occasions. In 2015, they were disqualified from the round of 32 after fielding Russian winger Denis Cheryshev — who was ineligible due to a suspension from the previous season.

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Have there been any upsets so far this season?

There have been a couple of big shocks. La Liga teams Cadiz and Almeria were both knocked out at the second round by fourth-tier opposition.

Last Thursday, Cadiz were beaten 2-1 by Arandina. That followed Almeria’s 1-0 defeat against Barbastro, who were only promoted to the fourth division last season.

There were scares for other top-flight teams in the second round. Real Betis required late goals from Abde Ezzalzouli and Borja Iglesias to beat fourth-tier Villanovense 2-1 while Villarreal were taken to extra time in their tie against fourth-division side Zamora, which they won 2-1.

Those upsets were less likely before the 2019-20 season, when all ties were played over two legs. The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) approved changes for that campaign which means all ties apart from the semi-finals are single matches.

Copa del Rey draw round of 32 (ties to be played January 6-7)

Barbastro v Barcelona

Arandina v Real Madrid

Castellon v Osasuna

Lugo v Atletico Madrid

Malaga v Real Sociedad

Unionistas de Salamanca v Villarreal

Elche v Girona

Burgos v Real Mallorca

Tenerife v Las Palmas

Espanyol v Getafe

Racing Club Ferrol v Sevilla