Copa del Rey Quarterfinals: Barcelona Set to Face Real Madrid's Latest Nemesis

The Copa del Rey has officially revealed its quarterfinal matchups following Monday’s draw at the Spanish FA headquarters in Las Rozas. The next round promises drama, tradition, and potential upsets, with one second-division side still alive and several heavyweight clashes on the schedule. Albacete, the only remaining Segunda División team, continues its remarkable run after stunning Real Madrid in the previous round (3–2). The Carlos Belmonte will once again host a major night as Barcelona travel to face a team that has already proven it can take down giants. For Barça, this will be their third lower-division opponent in this year’s competition, after facing Guadalajara and Racing Santander. The Catalans haven’t played in Albacete since 2004, when goals from Andrés Iniesta and Xavi Hernández secured a 2–1 league victory. At La Cartuja, Betis—Copa champions in 2022—will host Atlético Madrid in a tie rich with history. This will be the eighth Copa del Rey meeting between the two clubs, with Atlético holding the edge in past encounters. Their most recent quarterfinal clash came in the 2012/13 season, when Diego Pablo Simeone guided Atlético through with a 2–0 win in Madrid and a 1–1 draw in Seville. The draw also delivered a first-ever Basque derby at the quarterfinal stage between Alavés and Real Sociedad. Alavés arrive with an impressive defensive record, having conceded zero goals across four rounds. Real Sociedad, meanwhile, have navigated their path confidently and will look to shift a historical head-to-head that slightly favors Alavés. One of the tournament’s most storied matchups will take place at Mestalla, where Valencia and Athletic Club—two of the competition’s most decorated sides—go head-to-head. This will be their 11th Copa knockout meeting, with the most recent coming in the 2022/23 quarterfinals, when Valencia claimed a 3–1 victory. All quarterfinal ties will be single-elimination matches and will be played on February 3, 4, and 5, with a place in the semifinals on the line.