Barcelona Handed Tough Copa del Rey Semi-Final Draw

Lionel Messi

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Barcelona will take on La Liga rivals Sevilla for a place in the final of the 2020-21 Copa del Rey in April.

The Catalan giants were paired with Julen Lopetegui’s side in Friday’s draw for the last four. The winners of the tie will go on to face either Levante or Athletic in the final.

Barca booked their place in the semi-finals after a dramatic win over Granada on Wednesday. Ronald Koeman’s men were 2-0 down with 88 minutes on the clock but scored twice late on to force extra-time.

The visitors then ran out 5-3 winners at Los Carmenes to keep their hopes of lifting the trophy for a record 31st time alive. Opponents Sevilla secured their last-four spot with a 1-0 win over second-division side Almeria. Lucas Ocampos scored the only goal of the game.

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Copa del Rey Semi-Final Schedule

The Copa del Rey games have been played as single matches up until now but the format reverts back to a two-legged affair for the semi-finals. The first legs will take place next week on February 10. The return fixtures are currently set for March 3.

For Barcelona, next week’s match falls between La Liga games away at Real Betis and at home to Alaves. The Catalan giants will then turn their attentions to a Champions League last-16 tie against Paris Saint-Germain.

This season’s Copa del Rey final will take place on 17 April at the Estadio La Cartuja in Seville. The showpiece is actually due to take place two weeks after last season’s final, between Athletic and Real Sociedad, which was postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic.

If Athletic make it through to this season’s showpiece they face the prospect of playing two Copa del Rey finals in a single month. Barcelona have enjoyed home and away wins over the Basque side in La Liga but were beaten by Marcelino’s men in the final of the Spanish Super Cup.


Rakitic Reunion?

Barca’s semi-final tie will see the Catalan giants come up against former player Ivan Rakitic. The midfielder left the Camp Nou in the summer, after six years, and returned to his former team.

The two clubs have already met in La Liga this season. Sevilla held Barca to a 1-1 draw at the Camp Nou in October. Luuk de Jong fired the visitors ahead early on, but Philippe Coutinho hit back two minutes later.

Barca are due to play at Sevilla in La Liga on February 28 which could mean the two teams end up playing each other twice in the space of three days with the second leg due to take place straight after.

Sevilla are currently fourth in the table in Spain but just a point behind Barcelona after 20 games played. Lopetegui’s men are also on a good run of form and have won their last six matches in all competitions.

The side from Andalusia have won the Copa del Rey five times in the club’s history but have not lifted the trophy since 2010. Barca are the Copa del Rey’s most successful team but their last triumph came back in 2018.

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