Barcelona Discover Their Copa del Rey Quarterfinal Challengers in Dramatic Draw

Barcelona aims to accomplish what Real Madrid failed to achieve when they face Albacete in the Copa del Rey quarterfinal round.

Albacete, currently positioned dangerously close to the relegation zone in Spain's second division, has become the talk of Spanish football after delivering a shocking defeat to Real Madrid's new manager Álvaro Arbeloa in the previous tournament stage.

Facing a Madrid squad that, despite rotation, featured stars like Vinicius Junior, Dean Huijsen, Arda Güler and Federico Valverde, they managed to score a dramatic equalizer in stoppage time before conceding moments later in a thrilling 3–2 loss.

For their remarkable performance, Albacete has earned a quarterfinal matchup against Barcelona.

Forward Jefté Betancor, who scored twice in the upset victory over Madrid, commented on the upcoming fixture: "We must give everything we have, just like we did in the previous match."

Following tournament regulations that grant home advantage to lower-division clubs, the match will take place at Albacete's Estadio Carlos Belmonte. The venue holds a maximum of 17,524 spectators, with the Madrid encounter drawing approximately 17,000 fans.

Copa del Rey Quarterfinals Draw in Full

Copa del Rey Quarterfinals Draw in Full

When Are the Copa del Rey Quarterfinals?

When Are the Copa del Rey Quarterfinals?

🏆 We will face Albacete in the Copa del Rey quarter-finals away from home. pic.twitter.com/UChDSIf6gm

The remaining eight clubs in the 2025–26 Copa del Rey will compete during the midweek period around Wednesday, February 4.

At present, specific kickoff times for these encounters have not been confirmed, with games likely distributed throughout the week. Matches are anticipated to occur on Tuesday and Thursday as well.

Winners will advance to a two-leg semifinal, with the opening match scheduled for later in the same month.