Copa del Rey draw: quarter-final pairings revealed
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2020/21 Copa del Rey quarter-final draw: as it happened
Copa del Rey quarter-final draw in full:
Granada vs Barcelona
Real Betis vs Athletic Club
Levante vs Villarreal
Almería vs Sevilla
A reminder that the quarter-final ties will be played on 2, 3 and 4 February in single-game format. The Spanish Football Federation will announce the exact date and time of each game later on Friday.
That's all from me - thanks for reading!
That leaves...
Almería vs Sevilla
Third tie out...
Levante vs Villarreal
Next up...
Real Betis vs Athletic Club
First quarter-final tie out of the hat!
Granada vs Barcelona
Draw time!
The draw gets underway...
Esnáider Sr scored one of my favourite ever goals, by the way, walloping in this beauty in Real Zaragoza's 1995 Cup Winners' Cup final victory over Arsenal. Given the fairly decent second Zaragoza goal that followed, it gets a little overlooked.
Navalcarnero's Esnáider to pluck today's balls
The ceremony gets underway, and we start with a tribute to the giant-killing this year’s Copa has witnessed, headlined of course by Alcoyano’s sensational win over Real Madrid.
Fellow third-tier side Navalcarnero also produced a shock when they dumped top-flight Eibar out of the last 32, before succumbing to Granada in the last 16.
Following their Copa exploits, Navalcarnero player Juan Esnáider has been brought in to draw the balls from the hat today.
“It’s really a unique feeling playing in this competition,” Esnáider says. “It gives the smaller clubs the chance to dream.”
Esnáider is the son of Juan Eduardo Esnáider, who had spent several seasons in Spain in the 1990s and early 2000s, playing for Real Zaragoza, Real Madrid, Atlético Madrid, Espanyol and Real Murcia.
60 Copa del Rey wins between the quarter-finalists
There's a decent amount of Copa del Rey pedigree in today's quarter-final line-up, which includes the tournament's two most successful ever clubs: Barcelona have a record 30 trophy triumphs in the competition, while Athletic Club have 23.
Add in Sevilla's five tournament wins and Real Betis' two, and we have a combined total of 60 Copa del Reys between the clubs in this season's last eight.
Copa del Rey quarter-final draw: how and where to watch, times, TV, online
Copa del Rey quarter-final draw: how and where to watch
If you're looking to watch this lunchtime's draw at RFEF HQ, you may wish to peruse our guide on how you can do just that:
Date set for postponed 19/20 Copa del Rey final
2019/20 Copa del Rey final just before this season's showpiece
Two weeks before this season's Copa del Rey final is due to be played, we're also scheduled to have the coronavirus-delayed 2019/20 trophy decider between Athletic Club and Real Sociedad, also at La Cartuja.
AS now understands that this Basque-derby final will be held on Saturday 3 April, rather than the originally-planned date of Sunday 4 April.
Full story:
Two-legged ties in the semis
The four teams who make it through the quarter-finals will then find themselves playing two-legged Copa del Rey football once more in the semi-finals - scheduled for 10 February and 3 March - before it's back to the single-game format for the final.
This season's showpiece is set to be held at the Estadio La Cartuja in Seville on 17 April.
How will the quarter-final draw work?
While the previous rounds of the Copa del Rey have been structured so as to ensure the minnows get the big boys, it’s a different story from the quarter-final onwards.
We now get an open draw, in which all eight teams go into the same pot, and anyone can face anyone.
A reminder that the quarter-final ties, which are to be held on 2, 3 and 4 February, will be played in single-game format. In each case, the home team will be the side whose name is pulled out of the hat first.
Just the one non-top-flight club left...
Almería are now the only remaining Segunda División representative in the Copa del Rey, José Gomes’ side reaching the last eight after beating top-flight club Osasuna in a penalty shoot-out on Wednesday.
After dumping Real Madrid out in stunning fashion in the last 32, Segunda B side Alcoyano were edged 2-1 by Athletic Club in the last 16, while Navalcarnero, the other third-tier side to make it to the fourth round, were thumped 6-0 by Granada.
Meanwhile, Segunda sides Girona and Rayo Vallecano lost out to Villarreal and Barcelona, respectively.
In the three all-Primera last-16 ties, Levante beat Real Valladolid, Real Betis knocked out Real Sociedad - who, remember, are still to face Basque rivals Athletic in last season’s final - and Sevilla comprehensively saw off struggling Valencia.
(Photo: Carlos Barba/Diario AS)
Copa del Rey quarter-final draw: the line-up
The eight teams who are in the hat in today's draw are:
Almería
Athletic Club
Barcelona
Granada
Levante
Real Betis
Sevilla
Villarreal
Copa del Rey quarter-final draw: ¡bienvenidos!
Good afternoon and welcome to our live coverage of the draw for the quarter-finals of this season's Copa del Rey. Proceedings get underway at the Spanish Football Federation's headquarters on the outskirts of Madrid in about 45 minutes' time, at 13:00 CET.