Barcelona Face Giant-Killing Test as Guadalajara Eye Copa del Rey Upset—Preview, Predictions and Lineups

Copa del Rey champions Barcelona commence their title defense in the round of 32 with a trip to third-tier outfit Guadalajara, representing the inaugural encounter between these two Spanish sides.

The Catalan giants enter as defending champions following their victory over Real Madrid in an exciting final this past April. That triumph extended Barcelona's record as the most successful team in Copa del Rey competition.

Hansi Flick's squad arrives after securing their seventh straight La Liga victory to maintain a four-point lead at the summit. Considering the opposition and an upcoming league fixture against strong Villarreal, the German manager is anticipated to make significant squad changes for Tuesday's Copa del Rey encounter.

Guadalajara find themselves battling relegation in Spain's third division, currently positioned in the drop zone. Nevertheless, this represents a landmark fixture for the club and they'll be determined to achieve the ultimate shock result.

Here is Sports Illustrated's preview of the Copa del Rey matchup.

What Time Does Guadalajara vs. Barcelona Kick-Off?

Guadalajara vs. Barcelona Head-to-Head Record

This marks the inaugural meeting between Guadalajara and Barcelona.

Current Form (All Competitions)

How to Watch Guadalajara vs. Barcelona on TV, Live Stream

Guadalajara Team News

This could be considered the most significant match in Guadalajara's existence, confronting one of Spain and Europe's elite clubs for the very first time.

The humble third-tier club has organized an enormous reception to greet the team bus and provide the players with final motivation before stepping onto the field for this momentous occasion.

While the task may seem daunting, with 6,000 passionate supporters behind them, Guadalajara will attempt to, as they put it, "protect that 1% chance with 99% belief."

Guadalajara Predicted Lineup vs. Barcelona

Guadalajara predicted lineup vs. Barcelona (4-3-3): Zarco; Martínez, Ablanque, Gallardo, Rodríguez; Calvo, Mayo, Tavares; Domingo, Amigo, Caropitche.

Barcelona Team News

Anticipate extensive alterations to the starting eleven that beat Osasuna over the weekend to preserve Barcelona's position at the top of the table.

Key players including Pedri, Raphinha, Lamine Yamal, Alejandro Balde and Joan García may all receive rest, with Pau Cubarsí and Eric García appearing as likely candidates to retain their spots from Saturday's starting lineup.

Flick might utilize several La Masia youngsters on Tuesday evening, including Jofre Torrents, Marc Bernal and Dro Fernández, who have caught the German's attention previously.

Additionally, club captain Marc-André ter Stegen may make his seasonal return after recovering from a back problem. Meanwhile, Robert Lewandowski could feature up front as another experienced presence in an otherwise largely untested team.

Barcelona Predicted Lineup vs. Guadalajara

Barcelona Predicted Lineup vs. Guadalajara (4-2-3-1): Ter Stegen; García, Cubarsí, Christensen, Torrents; Bernal, Casado; Bardghji, Dro, López; Lewandowski.

Guadalajara vs. Barcelona Score Prediction

Even with a heavily rotated squad, Barcelona should comfortably advance past Guadalajara with minimal difficulty. There remain several quality players expected to feature and the talent disparity between both teams is simply too substantial.

Moreover, several Barça players will be motivated to showcase their abilities to earn increased minutes in more important fixtures as 2026 approaches. This represents a crucial chance for many of them that they must capitalize on.

Barcelona will control proceedings from beginning to end to launch their Copa del Rey title defense by securing passage to the round of 16.

Prediction: Guadalajara 0–4 Barcelona