The Copa del Rey returns this midweek! The quarterfinal round of this beloved competition kicks off on Tuesday and will see four interesting fixtures take place between now and Thursday.
With Real Madrid, last season's champions, getting eliminated in the round of 16, Spain will be treated to a new cup winner this campaign. Eight teams remain in the race, including three of the country's best teams: Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, and Girona.
Here is everything you need to know about the quarterfinals of the Copa del Rey.
Broadcast information for the Copa del Rey in the USA
ESPN+ will exclusively stream all matches in this competition for fans in the United States. ESPN has secured the right to broadcast 65 Copa del Rey matches per season exclusively on its streaming platform in English and Spanish until the 2026-27 season, meaning this is the go-to platform for fans of the Copa del Rey.
Top games to watch in the Copa del Rey quarterfinals
Mallorca vs. Girona
Girona, this season's surprise package in Spanish football, continue their pursuit of the league and cup double as the league leaders head to Mallorca with the goal of making the Copa del Rey quarterfinals. The visitors should be confident of pulling this off thanks to their spectacular form, boasting a 17-game unbeaten run. This includes a 3-1 victory over Rayo Vallecano in the previous round and a spectacular 5-1 victory over Sevilla in La Liga which saw Artem Dovbyk bag a hat-trick inside six minutes.
Athletic Club vs. Barcelona
The two most successful clubs in Copa del Rey history will lock horns in the quarterfinals as Barcelona head to the San Mames with the sole goal of making the semifinals. The Blaugrana enter this tie on the back of their dramatic 4-2 win over Real Betis but despite the result, it was another frustrating performance from Xavi's men. The Catalan giants currently sit third in the league, lost the Supercopa de Espana, and are not the favorites for the UEFA Champions League, thus leaving this competition as possibly their best avenue to silverware.
Athletic Club, on the other hand, are fifth in La Liga and enter this tie on the back of a 1-0 loss away to Valencia. However, unlike Barcelona, the Basque outfit overcame a top-flight club to make the quarterfinals of the Copa del Rey, beating Deportivo Alaves 2-0 in the round of 16. Los Leones have not won this title since 1983–84 and will want to end this barren run. However, they will be in for a tough ride this Wednesday.
Atletico Madrid vs. Sevilla
Fresh off of their spectacular 4-2 win over defending champions Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid prepare for another interesting cup tie. This time around, Simeone's men face a struggling Sevilla side.
Griezmann and Co. last won this competition back in 2012-13. They missed out on the Supercopa de Espana after losing in the semifinals against eventual champions Real Madrid but will look to make amends in this domestic cup competition. Sevilla, meanwhile, have been struggling all season, crashing out of the UEFA Champions League in the group stage and are currently battling relegation. Quique Sánchez Flores's men will need a miraculous performance to overcome their opponent.
Who's in and who's out?
Here is the list of players injured from the Copa del Rey's top clubs:
Real Sociedad: Aihen Munoz, Carlos Fernandez, Martin Zubimendi, Alvaro Odriozola, Ander Barrenetxea, and Martin Merquelanz (injured); Takefusa Kubo and Hamari Traore (international duty)
Girona: Toni Villa and David Lopez (injured)
Barcelona: Gavi, Marcos Alonso, Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Inigo Martinez, and Raphinha (injured)
Athletic Club: Dani Garcia, Mikel Vesga, and Oscar de Marcos (injured); Inaki Williams (international duty)
Atletico Madrid: Thomas Lamar, Pablo Barrios, Cesar Azpilicueta, Marcos Paulo, and Vitolo (injured); Reinildo Mandava (international duty)
Sevilla: Dodi Lukebakio, Nemanja Gudelj, and Kike Salas (injured); Youssef En-Nesyri
(international duty)
