Barcelona will take on Cornellà in a Catalan derby in the third round of the 2020-21 Copa del Rey.
🏆 We will face @ue_cornella in the Copa del Rey round of 32!
🔵🔴 #CopaBarça
The draw for the last 32 of the competition took place on Friday at Spanish FA headquarters in Madrid and saw Ronald Koeman’s men drawn to face local rivals. The tie will be given extra spice by the fact the third-tier minnows knocked La Liga table-toppers Atletico Madrid out in the second round.
Adrian Jimenez was the hero for Cornella, volleying home the only goal of the game after seven minutes to pull off a huge shock against Diego Simeone’s side who have enjoyed a superb start to the season.
Here’s a look at the draw in full:
🚨 #SorteoCopa | ¡¡Ya tenemos la primera tanda de emparejamientos!!
🆚 Estos son los ocho primeros cruces de dieciseisavos de final de la #CopaDelRey.
🔴 DIRECTO: t.co/3KBWvvLGuH
🚨 #SorteoCopa | ¡¡ESTOS 8⃣ EMPAREJAMIENTOS COMPLETAN EL SORTEO!!
➡ Los partidos se disputarán los días 16, 17, 20 y 21 de enero.
🔴 DIRECTO: t.co/3KBWvvLGuH
Barcelona, Real Madrid, Real Sociedad, and Athletic Club were given a bye until the third round of the Copa del Rey due to their involvement in the Spanish Super Cup which takes place next week in Andalusia.
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Cup of Shocks?
Other notable third-round ties see reigning Spanish champions Real Madrid drawn against Alcoyano who knocked out La Liga side Huesca in the last round. Meanwhile, current holders Valencia take on Alcorcon.
Huesca and Atletico are not the only top-flight sides to have suffered Copa del Rey shock exits so far in 2020-21. Getafe and Celta Vigo have also been surprisingly dumped out early.
This year’s third-round ties will start on the weekend of Saturday 16 January. Lower league teams will play at home and there will be no replays or extra-time. If games are tied after 90 minutes the matches will be decided on penalties. Barca’s game is scheduled for 21 January due to their Spanish Super Cup involvement.
Meanwhile, the 2019-20 final is set yet to take place because of the coronavirus pandemic but will see local rivals Athletic and Real Sociedad clash. The two clubs agreed to delay the match in the hope it could be played with supporters, and the match is currently scheduled for April 4 in Seville, as reported by Marca.
Chance of Silverware for Barcelona
The Copa del Rey is not usually at the top of Barca’s priority list, but the club may well take it more seriously this time around. The Catalan giants finished last season empty-handed and are already well off the pace in La Liga.
Wednesday’s win over Athletic saw Barcelona move into third place in the table, but Koeman’s men remain seven points off leaders Atletico who also have two games in hand.
Barca also face a tricky fixture in the Champions League. The Catalan giants will take on French champions Paris Saint-Germain in the last 16. The French club reached the final last season and have a star-studded squad which includes players such as Neymar and Kylian Mbappe.
The Copa del Rey may therefore present Barca’s most realistic chance of landing a trophy this season, particularly with Atletico already out. Barca have won the title a record 30 times in their history but have not picked up the trophy since 2018.
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Barcelona Handed Tasty Copa del Rey Third Round Tie