Copa del Rey, the domestic competition in Spain where top Liga clubs can compete with third division teams (and sometimes they surprise), hosts the round of 16 games this week. And, as expected, most of the 16 remaining teams come from the top-flight.
That inclues Atlético de Madrid, FC Barcelona and Real Madrid, which will play their games today and tomorrow. The round of 16 started yesterday with a 2-0 victory from Valencia over Ourense, a team from third division.
Today, Wednesday January 15, Elche (one of the top teams from Second Division) will host a game against Atlético de Madrid. Atleti is expected to win and extend to 15 their best ever track record of victories in the history of the club (which allowed them to pass Madrid and Barcelona and claim the top spot in LaLiga).
Barcelona also plays tonight, against Betis, a team from Sevilla and three times <social>Copa del Rey</social> winner, the last time in 2022. Barcelona is by far the team that has won more Copas, 31, the last one in 2021.
Current champion Athletic Bilbao (the second team with more Copas, 20, but most of them in the 1910s and 20s -their last two victories were in 2024 and 1984) will play Liga team Osasuna tomorrow Thursday.
Real Madrid will be the last one to play, tomorrow night, at the Bernabéu, against another first division team, Celta de Vigo, hoping to forget the painful 5-2 defeat last Sunday at the Super Cup.