Barbastro-Barça: Copa del Rey debut and time to get things back on track

FC Barcelona is back. After an agonising end to 2024, the Copa del Rey will be the first culé commitment of 2025 and will be approached with the intention of breaking with the bad dynamic. In front of them they will have a familiar face from last year, UD Barbastro, a team against which they already debuted last year and will do so again in this one. Hansi Flick's pupils will try to focus on the sporting aspect, leaving aside the chaos of the last few days regarding the registrations of Dani Olmo and Pau Víctor, to move on to the next round against a rival that competes in the fourth category of Spanish football.

The reality is that this tournament is very good for the Barcelona team. It is true that they have not won it since 2021, but they are the team that has won the award the most times. However, a house must be built from the foundations and not from the roof, so the Catalan team must focus on this first round, the round of 32, which will take place this Saturday at 7:00 p.m. In addition, the statistics are in favour of Barça because, despite the fact that they are usually very difficult matches, they have not been eliminated in the first round since 2004.

Barça will not have Lamine, will Pau Víctor and Olmo be there?

The Blaugrana team arrives at the match at a difficult time, both sportingly and emotionally. Regarding the first aspect, we must not forget that 2024 ended very negatively in LaLiga, as Barça got 5 of the 21 points at stake. In addition, facing this clash, they have the absences of Lamine Yamal, Ter Stegen, Marc Bernal and Héctor Fort due to injury. For his part, Andreas Christensen has already completed several full training sessions and could receive the medical clearance that would allow him to be selected by Hansi Flick for the cup match.

Regarding the sentimental aspect, these have been very difficult weeks, especially the last one, for all of Barcelona. The registrations of Dani Olmo and Pau Víctor worry everyone, from the most noble part of the top brass to the squad. As is normal, the players are generating a climate of skepticism. Such is the doubt that, at the time of writing this article, with 28 hours to go before the match, it is not known if they will be able to play, as the club is waiting for a new response from LaLiga. This atmosphere is not good for the preview of a knockout round.

Leaving aside bureaucratic issues, those who will be available and could have minutes are Ronald Araujo, Szczcesny, Ansu Fati and Pablo Torre. The Uruguayan centre-back could appear for the first time this season against Barbastro. He was already prepared to play against Leganés and Atlético, but the circumstances did not give him the opportunity to get on the pitch. Likewise, the Polish goalkeeper is expected to be the starter for the match, giving Iñaki Peña a rest. For their part, the two Spanish attackers are hardly participating so, against a rival of lesser calibre, it is possible that they will have the opportunity to show their worth.

Barbastro, a familiar face

As mentioned in the initial paragraph, Barça's first rival in the 2024-2025 edition of the Copa del Rey is the same as last year. It is UD Barbastro, an Aragonese team that plays in the Second RFEF. Under Xavi's command, the Catalans suffered to get a narrow victory (2-3), something that is usually common in this type of match. In fact, since the one-match knockout format was restored except in the quarter-finals and semi-finals, there have been several surprises.

The host team reached the round of 32 after eliminating Amorebieta (4-0) and Espanyol (2-0). Now, they will have the opportunity to take revenge on the Catalans after last year's elimination. For their part, Hansi Flick's pupils will try not to suffer the same fate as the team led by Frank Rijkaard in 2004, who were eliminated by UDA Gramenet in the second consecutive year that they faced each other in the tournament. What ends up happening will be decided by football this Saturday, at 7:00 p.m., at the Municipal de Deportes de Barbastro.

Match details

• All the information about the match: Barbastro - FC Barcelona
• Competition: Copa del Rey 1/16
• Squad: List of players
• Possible lineups: Barbastro and Barça XIs
• Stadium: Municipal de Deportes de Barbastro, 6.000 spectators
• Referee: Díaz de Mera (Committee of Castilla-La Mancha)
• Schedules and television: When and where to watch the match - World Cup guide
• Tickets: Buy tickets to watch Barbastro vs Barça