The Copa del Rey, or Spanish Cup, finally held the draw for the next round, after the last round of 32 match was played on January 6, weeks after the rest (a 3-1 victory for Conferenece League side Rayo Vallecano over Granada). We now know the pairings for the round of 16, that will take place next week, between January 13-15.
The match was not entirely random, as the four Super Cup teams (Real Madrid, FC Barcelona, Atlético de Madrid, and Athletic Club) could only be paired with lower ranked teams (second division), a decision that many view as unfair advantage (to maximise chances of the more popular teams reaching further in the competition).
After the draw on Wednesday, these are the round of 16 matches in Copa del Rey. Times will be determined at a later date, taking place between January 13 and 15:
Deportivo de La Coruña - Atlético de Madrid
Racing de Santander - Barcelona
Albacete - Real Madrid
Cultural Leonesa - Athletic Club
Burgos - Valencia
Betis - Elche
Real Sociedad - Osasuna
Alavés - Rayo Vallecano
This week, the Spanish Super Cup takes place, with Barcelona vs. Athletic tonight and Real Madrid vs. Atlético de Madrid tomorrow, and a final on Sunday in Saudi Arabia.