Deportivo Alavés will visit regional division side CD Anaitasuna in the first round of the Copa del Rey, according to the official draw held on Monday, Oct. 5. The single-leg tie is scheduled to take place between Oct. 27 and Oct. 29 at Txerloia in Azkoitia. Alavés enters the knockout competition sitting sixth in the Primera División standings with 11 points through the opening seven league matches.
The Road to Txerloia for CD Anaitasuna
CD Anaitasuna earned its spot among the 112 clubs in the first-round draw by overcoming Riojan side Tedeón 10-2 on aggregate in the preliminary phase. The Basque club hopes to host the fixture at its home ground, Txerloia, though the natural grass facility with a capacity of around 1,500 spectators must meet Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) requirements. Six years ago, Anaitasuna hosted Getafe in the tournament, but COVID-19 pandemic restrictions barred spectators from the stands. Currently competing in the regional División de Honor, the team has played only two league matches with a record of one win and one defeat.
Alavés Seeks Another Deep Cup Run
Head coach Quique Sánchez Flores leads Alavés back into the Copa del Rey following a quarterfinal appearance last season. The albiazul squad eliminated Sevilla and Rayo Vallecano before falling 2-3 to eventual tournament champion Real Sociedad at Mendizorroza. Under the competition’s regional pairing rules designed to minimize travel, Alavés was drawn from a tight pot that included Atlético Calatayud, the winner between Sant Rafael and Prat, and Sestao River, before landing the matchup against the Guipuzcoan regional side.
Broader Basque Pairings in the First Round
The first-round draw also mapped out encounters for other regional clubs across the Basque Country and neighboring provinces. Eibar will travel to face Tercera Federación side CD Pamplona, while Real Unión visits Segunda Federación club CD Portugalete. Eibar enters its cup preparations on a strong run of form in the Liga Hypermotion, securing 21 of 24 possible points and seven consecutive victories to claim top spot in the table. Meanwhile, CD Pamplona sits 15th in its Tercera RFEF group, operating out of a facility in Lizasoain that produced notable professionals such as Nacho Monreal and Athletic brothers Iñaki and Nico Williams. CD Portugalete, ninth in Group 1 of Segunda RFEF, returns to familiar cup territory at La Florida, where the venue previously hosted a 1-0 victory over Valladolid and a 0-3 defeat to Alavés last season.
VAR Starts in Round of 16
Matches in this opening round remain strictly single-leg affairs hosted by the lower-tier club, governed by regional proximity to ease travel burdens. Per tournament rules, Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology will not be implemented until the round of 16. Four clubs—Real Madrid, Barcelona, Atlético, and titleholder Real Sociedad—remain exempt from the opening rounds due to their participation in the Spanish Super Cup, entering the competition in December. Exact dates and kickoff times for the October fixtures remain unconfirmed.
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