As FC Barcelona enter 2025, they are set to face Barbastro in a Copa del Rey round of 64 match, the same team they met at this stage 12 months ago. The Aragonese team made history by advancing to this round for the first time, and their reward is another showdown against mighty Barça. This year, the fourth division team managed to repeat their feat, and by a happy coincidence, they once again find themselves facing the Catalan giants.
Like all cup matches up to the semi-finals, this match will be a knockout match, kicking off at the home of the lower tier club on Saturday at 7:00 p.m. CET. Due to the nature of the cup, broadcasters may vary for this match compared to other competitions. We hope our guide helps you find the right place to watch.
On paper, there is a huge gap between these teams. Barca currently sit second in the Champions League and third in La Liga, while Barbastro are four divisions below and struggling to stay afloat. Unless they can reverse the trend, they risk falling to an even lower level next season.
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However, cutting can produce unexpected results. Barbastro already eliminated Espanyol with a 2-0 win to reach this stage, and last year’s match against Barca is a reminder that nothing is guaranteed for the Catalans. Despite an almost full squad and having led twice thanks to Fermín and Raphinha, Barbastro managed to equalize twice, and it was only thanks to a late penalty from Robert Lewandowski that the match did not go into extra time or a possible revenge.
Barbastro’s team that faces Barça this year has seen significant changes in 12 months, although several players remain the same, along with head coach Dani Martínez. They have improved since their triumph against Espanyol, remaining unbeaten in the league and finally finding form to avoid relegation.
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However, despite their recent positive results, the challenge that awaits them is monumental. Barca are aiming to extend their record 32 Copa del Rey titles, particularly keen to do so this year marking their 125th anniversary, having last reached the final in the 2020/21 season. Additionally, after a disappointing spell in La Liga to close out 2024, mainly due to bad luck rather than poor performances, the team has a lot to prove before heading to Saudi Arabia for the Spanish Super Cup.
History is on Barça’s side. It has been two decades since they were knocked out of the cup this early, the last time being in the 2004/05 season, where they suffered an unsightly 1-0 defeat to Gramanito, a side then playing in Segunda División B outside Barcelona.
Marcos Bernal, Marc-André ter Stegen, and Andreas Christensen are all still unavailable due to injuries, and although Lamine Yamal and Héctor Fort were able to participate in part of training this week, they did not return in time for this match.
It will be interesting to see who takes the gloves, with Iñaki Peña likely to continue in goal or if new signing Wojciech Szczęsny will make his cup debut. According to Hansi Flick, no decision has yet been made on this matter.
Regarding the situations of Dani Olmo and Pau Víctor, the coach said: “Things are what they are, we have to accept them, we are professionals. I concentrate on football and training. We have confidence in the club. I’m still positive but we have to wait for the decision.” For the full story from the pre-game press conference, click here.
