Tuesday, December 9, 2025, 1:41 p.m.
Talavera, Guadalajara, Atlético Baleares and Ourense are the teams that have been the most fortunate in the draw for the round of 32 of the Copa del Rey by facing Real Madrid, Barcelona, Atlético de Madrid and Athletic Club, respectively. A round with only one duel between teams from the highest category, which will measure Alavés and Sevilla in Mendizorroza. This was the outcome of the draw held this Tuesday at the premises of the Spanish Football Federation, with the German Bernd Schuster in this case as the innocent hand. An extraordinary midfielder and lucky in the Cup to be able to boast six titles, three with Barça, one with Real Madrid and two with Atlético.
The happiest teams, and also their hobbies, are, without a doubt, the Talavera and the Alcarreña. Representatives of clubs from the modest First RFEF, their players will have the great fortune to be able to see each other and greet their idols from Real Madrid and Barça, the two transatlantic teams of Spanish football. The Grand Prize, distributed between both clubs for the box office and television revenues in the matches that will take place at the Prado de Talavera (Wednesday the 17th, at 9:00 p.m.) and the Pedro Escartín stadium in Guadalajara (Tuesday the 16th, at 9:00 p.m.). To get here, Talavera has left Rayo Majadahonda (1-4) and Málaga (2-1) in the gutter, while Guadalajara beat Cacereño (2-1) and Ceuta (1-0).
If the whites and azulgranas cannot fail, neither are colchoneros and leones, the other two representatives of the Spanish Super Cup who were exempt in the first two qualifying rounds, allowed a mistake in their debut cup competition of this campaign. Cholo Simeone’s team will face Atlético Baleares (Thursday 18, at 9:00 p.m.), the only survivor of Second B after having achieved a superb feat against Espanyol (1-0) in the second round.
The people from Ourense, champions of the Federation Cup and the first to know their rival in the round of 32, wanted Real Madrid or Barça, but they will face a rival with a long cup tradition like Athletic (Thursday 18, at 7:00 p.m.). Ernesto Valverde’s team would do well not to trust him because two top teams such as Oviedo (4-2) and Girona (2-1) have already knelt in O Couto this season.
Eldense and Real Murcia, Primera RFEF teams, already knew that they were going to be lucky to have a Primera team. They will not face opponents who will compete later in the Super Cup, but they also welcomed their commitments against Real Sociedad and Betis, respectively.
The Granada-Rayo is delayed
The only match that cannot be played between December 16 and 18, the established dates, will be Rayo Vallecano’s match against Granada in Nuevo los Cármenes. And the franjirrojos face the last game of the Conference league phase that same Thursday against Drita, starting at 9:00 p.m. That tie will be postponed until January 6.
The die is cast and there will surely be more surprises. If Oviedo fell in the first round, in the second the first two were eliminated from the KO tournament. These are Espanyol, who were beaten by Atlético Baleares 1-0, and the aforementioned Girona, who lost at O Couto 2-1. Also surprising was Talavera’s victory over Málaga and that teams like Villarreal and Celta reached the penalty shoot-out to beat Villarreal and Antoniano, respectively.
Dates and times
Tuesday, December 16
Eibar – Elche – 7:00 p.m.
Deportivo de La Coruña – Mallorca – 7:00 p.m.
Guadalajara – Barcelona – 9:00 p.m.
Eldense – Real Sociedad – 9:00 p.m.
Sporting de Gijón – Valencia – 9:00 p.m.
Wednesday, December 17
Albacete – Celta – 7:00 p.m.
Racing de Santander – Villarreal – 7:00 p.m.
Huesca – Osasuna – 7:00 p.m.
Cultural Leonesa – Levante – 7:00 p.m.
Talavera de la Reina – Real Madrid – 9:00 p.m.
Alavés – Seville – 9:00 p.m.
Thursday, December 18
Burgos – Getafe – 7:00 p.m.
Ourense – Athletic Club – 7:00 p.m.
Atlético Baleares – Atlético de Madrid – 9:00 p.m.
Real Murcia – Betis – 9:00 p.m.
Tuesday, January 6
Granada – Rayo Vallecano – 7:00 p.m.
Worth a look
