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arcelona have avoided La Liga opposition and will take on Segunda Division side Rayo Vallecano in the last 16 of the 2020-21 Copa del Rey after the draw was made on Friday.
🏆 Copa del Rey draw for the last 16!
Rayo Vallecano 🆚 Barça
ℹ The tie will be played over one leg and will take place next week at Vallecas Stadium (kick off time TBC)
#CopaBarça
Ronald Koeman’s side booked their place in the next round after a 2-0 win over Cornella on Thursday night. The Catalan giants needed extra-time to see off the challenge of the third-tier side with goals from Ousmane Dembele and Martin Braithwaite sealing the win.
Meanwhile, Rayo secured their spot in the last 16 by seeing off La Liga strugglers Elche 2-0 in the third round. Interestingly, Barcelona take on Elche in the Spanish top flight on Sunday.
The last-16 ties are scheduled to be played between 26-28 January. The game will take place at the Estadio de Vallecas as Rayo are the lower-ranked team.
Rayo suffered relegated from La Liga in 2019 and have been in the Segunda Division since. The last time the two sides met was in March 2019 when Barca won 3-1 at the Camp Nou. The Catalan giants’ last trip to Rayo resulted in a 3-2 win for the visitors.
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Barca Favorites for Copa del Rey?
Barca may not have been particularly convincing against Cornella but will be favorites to lift the Copa del Rey for the first time since 2018, particularly since Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid have both been knocked out.
Diego Simeone’s side suffered a shock defeat to Cornella in the second round, while Los Blancos were handed an embarrassing defeat by third division side Alcoyano who ended the game with 10 men.
Alcoyano have been rewarded for their giant-killing exploits with another tie against a La Liga club. Vicente Parras’s men play Athletic Club, who beat Barca in the Spanish Super Cup final, in the last 16.
Third-tier side Navalcarnero also remain in the draw and will take on Granada for a place in the quarter-finals. Elsewhere, there are also some tasty ties involving La Liga clubs. Holders Valencia are up against Sevilla, Villarreal take on Girona, and Real Sociedad will play Real Betis.
🔴 EN DIRECTO | ¡¡Estos son LOS CRUCES de los octavos de final de la #CopaDelRey!!
🙌🏻 ¡¡Mucha suerte a todos los equipos en la siguiente ronda!!
🆚 La eliminatoria, a partido único, se celebrará los días 26, 27 y 28 de enero.
Busy Week for Barca
Friday’s draw means it’s another busy week for Barca. The team have been forced to into extra-time in their last three matches and now resume their La Liga campaign on Sunday against Elche.
The trip to Rayo follows Sunday’s match and will be an eighth straight away game for Ronald Koeman and his players. Captain Lionel Messi will be available again after completing a two-match ban, but it remains to be seen if Koeman will use him in the match or turn to his young players and fringe members of the squad once more.
Barca then head back to the Camp Nou to face Athletic for the third time this month after meetings at San Mames in La Liga and in Seville in the final of the Spanish Super Cup.
The Catalan giants won 3-2 in the league fixture between the two club but were beaten by the same scoreline in the Super Cup. The game saw Messi sent off late on after a clash with Asier Villalibre, and the captain may feel he has a point to prove against Marcelino’s men.
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Barcelona Handed Kind Copa del Rey Last 16 Draw