What’s the story?
Barcelona have been handed a tough draw in the semifinals of the Copa del Rey, as they face Atletico Madrid over two legs. Deportivo Alaves and Celta Vigo were drawn in the other semifinal, with Celta perhaps favourites to make it to the King’s Cup final after overcoming Real Madrid in the previous leg.
In case you didn’t know...
Deportivo Alaves, Atletico Madrid, Barcelona and Celta Vigo are the four teams left remaining in the competition. Celta produced the shock of the tournament by defeating Real Madrid 4-3 in two legs of the quarterfinals to progress, while Barcelona comfortably swept Real Sociedad away by a 6-2 margin over both legs.
Deportivo Alaves put aside 2nd division side Alcorcon to progress, making only their 5th ever appearance in the semifinal stage. Atletico Madrid overcame Eibar 5-2 on aggregate to book their place in the semifinals for the 31st time.
The heart of the matter
Barcelona are the most successful side in the tournament, having won the Copa del Rey a staggering 28 times, while also setting another record by appearing in the semifinals for the seventh consecutive time.
Atletico Madrid were drawn out of the hat first, thus will play the first leg of the semifinal at home
Here is the Copa del Rey semifinal draw, in full:
Celta Vigo vs Deportivo Alaves
Atletico Madrid vs Barcelona
What next?
The first leg of the semifinal is scheduled for the 1st of February, with the second leg scheduled for February 8th. Barcelona will be unlikely to play on that day, due to a Liga fixture on Sunday against Real Betis – their tie will take place on February 2nd and February 9th.
Television commitments might change these dates as well, with RFEF officials to release confirmed kickoff timings later in the day.
Sportskeeda’s Take
Of all the teams Barcelona could have hoped for, Atletico Madrid are by far the toughest. The Vicente Calderon is a tough place to go to, although the Catalans will take comfort from the fact that the second leg will take place at the Nou Camp.
Having seen Real Madrid crash out, Barcelona are still favourites for winning another Copa del Rey, but Atletico Madrid will be especially motivated to make the finals. The Vicente Calderon has been mooted as a potential venue for the final, and with Atletico moving to another stadium next year, a Copa del Rey win at the storied stadium would be the perfect way to sign off.
