Copa del Rey draw: Ceuta vs Barcelona, Villarreal vs Real Madrid... 2022/23 round-of-16 ties
Copa del Rey draw: as it happened
Copa del Rey last-16 draw in full
Ceuta vs Barcelona
Levante vs Atlético Madrid
Sporting Gijón vs Valencia
Alavés vs Sevilla
Real Betis vs Osasuna
Villarreal vs Real Madrid
Real Sociedad vs Real Mallorca
Athletic Club vs Espanyol
Ties to be played on 17, 18 and 19 January.
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Atlético, Valencia and Sevilla also get lower-league oppositino
Here are the eight ties broken down by league tier. Atlético Madrid, Valencia and Sevilla are the three other top-flight teams, along with Barcelona, who've been handed a tie against a club from a lower division.
All-Primera División:
Real Betis vs Osasuna
Villarreal vs Real Madrid
Real Sociedad vs Real Mallorca
Athletic Club vs Espanyol
Primera vs Segunda División:
Levante vs Atlético Madrid
Sporting Gijón vs Valencia
Alavés vs Sevilla
Primera vs third-tier:
Ceuta vs Barcelona
Derby-free draw
After all the pre-draw talk about the clásicos and derbies that were potentially in store in the last 16, we didn't get any!
All eight ties involve teams from different regions of Spain.
While Ceuta vs Barcelona is without doubt the pick of the bunch in the romance-of-the-cup stakes, Villarreal vs Real Madrid looks to be the biggest-name clash - and, of course, we have a dress rehearsal for that this weekend.
If you'd like to know how you can watch today's Villarreal vs Real Madrid match-up, by the way, check out our guide on where you can catch the game on TV or online.
Ceuta hit jackpot after Elche giant-killing
Ceuta were the big winners of the last 32, and they're now the big winners of this draw. Having dispatched Elche in the previous round, the third-tier club can now prepare for a home tie against the Copa del Rey's most successful club.
Ties to be played midweek after next
A reminder that these last-16 ties will be held on Tuesday 17, Wednesday 18 and Thursday 19 January.
The RFEF is to confirm the exact date and time of each clash later today.
They'll all be single-elimination ties, and will be decided by extra time and penalties if necessary.
Athletic vs Espanyol
And, in the last of the round-of-16 ties to be drawn from the hat, Athletic Club will host Espanyol.
Real Sociedad vs Real Mallorca
2020 Copa winners Real Sociedad are out next, and they get Real Mallorca.
Villarreal vs Real Madrid
Villarreal, who host Real Madrid in LaLiga today, will also do so in the last 16 of the cup.
Betis vs Osasuna
Now we move on to the all-Primera División ties.
Holders Real Betis are drawn with Osasuna.
Alavés vs Sevilla
The final second-tier team, Alavés, are given a last-16 clash with Sevilla.
Sporting Gijón vs Valencia
Sporting Gijón are the next Segunda side to come out of the pot, and the Asturians are handed a tie with Valencia.
Levante vs Atlético Madrid
Now we move on to the three Segunda División teams, who are also certain to face a top-flight side.
First out are Levante, who get Atlético Madrid.
Ceuta draw... Barcelona!
So, the first team out of the hat is the one third-tier team, Ceuta.
They draw... Barcelona!
We immediately get the thoughts of Ceuta captain Alberto Reina, who says: "It'll be a pleasure to host Barcelona, who are one of the favourites to lift the trophy."
Right, we're about to get the draw underway.
A final reminder of the draw format:
- the lower-league teams are guaranteed a tie against a top-flight side
- the lower-ranked side will automatically be given a home tie
- in ties between two teams from the same division, the draw will determine home advantage
Soldevila on "dream come true" treble against Barça
The draw event itself is underway at RFEF HQ, but we're still going through the preliminaries.
There's a word with Intercity striker Oriol Soldevila, whose hat-trick against Barcelona pushed the Catalan giants all the way in midweek.
“It’s been a dream come true and I’ve struggled to sleep since then, but it’s now starting to sink in," says Soldevila, who is a Barça youth product and a lifelong fan of the club.
“It was a really special game for me and my family," he adds. "I’ve been a member of Barça all my life. I’ve got the match ball in my living room."
Remember that if you're wondering how to watch the last-16 draw live, you can find all the information you need by reading my colleague Paul Reidy's guide to tuning in.
Last-16 draw: the pots
It's almost time for the draw to begin, so here's a reminder of the three pots from which the balls will be plucked.
Pot 1 - LaLiga teams (12):
Athletic Club, Atlético Madrid, Barcelona, Espanyol, Real Mallorca, Osasuna, Real Betis, Real Madrid, Real Sociedad, Sevilla, Valencia, Villarreal
Pot 2 - Segunda División teams (3):
Alavés, Levante, Sporting Gijón
Pot 3 - Primera RFEF teams (1):
Ceuta
Mouthwatering match-ups in store
There’s also plenty of scope for major rivalries to be renewed in the last 16.
At first sight, I can see potential for: a Clásico between Real Madrid and Barcelona; a Madrid derby between Real and Atlético; a Seville derby between Sevilla and Betis; a Basque derby between Athletic and Real Sociedad; a Catalan derby between Barça and Espanyol; a city derby between Valencia and Levante; and a regional derby between Valencia and Villarreal.
Last-16 draw brimming with previous winners
In all, we have 10 previous Copa del Rey winners in today’s draw in Las Rozas:
- Barcelona (31 wins)
- Athletic Club (23)
- Real Madrid (19)
- Atlético Madrid (10)
- Valencia (8)
- Sevilla (5)
- Espanyol (4)
- Real Betis (3)
- Real Sociedad (3)
- Real Mallorca (1)
(Photo: PABLO GARCIA / RFEF / DIARIO AS)
When will the ties be played?
This year’s Copa del Rey last-16 ties are due to be played on Tuesday 17, Wednesday 18 and Thursday 19 January.
They’ll be single-elimination ties, with extra time and penalties if needed.
How will today's last-16 draw work?
With just over 10 minutes to go until draw time at RFEF HQ, let’s remind ourselves of how it’s all going to work.
There’ll be three pots - one for the 12 LaLiga teams, one for the three Segunda División teams, and one for third-tier Ceuta.
First, the teams in the second two pots will each be paired with a top-flight club.
After that, the remaining eight LaLiga sides will be drawn into four all-first division clashes.
The lower-league teams will all be given a home tie. In the games between top-flight clubs, home advantage will be decided in today’s draw.
Leones roar to last 32's biggest victory
Athletic Club enjoyed the biggest win in the last 32, the Basques walloping Eldense 6-1.
Álex Berenguer netted twice for Ernesto Valverde’s men, who also scored through goals by Nico Williams, Oier Zarraga and Iker Muniain, and an o.g. by Ruben Correia.
Athletic are the second-most decorated club in the Copa, having lifted the trophy on 23 occasions. However, their most recent cup triumph came back in 1984.
Betis breeze past Ibiza
Copa del Rey holders Real Betis secured a far smoother passage into this year’s round of 16, thumping Ibiza Islas Pitiusas 4-1 at the Estadio Can Misses.
Los Verdiblancos progressed thanks to strikes by Willian José, Edgar González and Nabil Fekir, and an own goal by Iker Murua.
Betis, who last season lifted the Copa for the first time since 2005, are three-time Spanish cup winners.
Barça narrowly avoid Intercity upset
Meanwhile, Barcelona found it even tougher going in their last-32 clash with third-tier Intercity.
The Blaugrana needed an extra-time winner by Ansu Fati to squeak past the minnows on Wednesday, having been pegged back three times in Alicante.
Oriol Soldevila, who is a former Barça youth player, hit a hat-trick for the hosts.
The Copa del Rey’s most decorated club, Barça have won the competition 31 times in their history, most recently in 2021.
(Photo: JOSE JORDAN / AFP)
"It’s not football, it’s another sport"
Having watched his Real Madrid side edge past Cacereño, head coach Carlo Ancelotti went full Xavi in his post-match press conference, laying into the quality of the pitch at the Estadio Príncipe Felipe.
“You can’t play football on that," the Italian fumed. "In my opinion, it’s not football, it’s another sport. It’s beautiful because the small teams can compete with the big teams, it’s great for the fans, but the fans also want to see decent football matches.”
(Photo: CRISTINA QUICLER / AFP)
Real Madrid in last 16 after edging Cacereño
Giant-killings aside, what were some of the other notable results in the last 32?
Well, Real Madrid faced fourth-tier Cacereño - and only made it through with a narrow victory. Rodrygo Goes’ goal midway through the second half was all that separated the teams at the Estadio Príncipe Felipe.
Madrid are bidding to win the Copa del Rey for the first time since 2014, and for only the third time since 1993.
(Photo: Ángel Martínez/Getty)
Ceuta chief: We're the team to avoid!
Ceuta’s president, Luhay Hamido, has been speaking to Spanish radio station Cadena Cope ahead of today’s draw.
Hamido has described reaching the last 16 as an “Epiphany gift”, and joked: “We’re going to be the team to avoid in the draw.”
Just to clarify, Epiphany - also known as Three Kings’ Day - is a festive-season celebration held on 6 January, and it’s very important in Spain. It marks the moment when the Three Kings (alternatively called the Magi or the Three Wise Men) were led by a star to baby Jesus.
Ceuta this year's top giant-killers
Because top-flight sides are automatically paired with lower-league teams in the early rounds - indeed, that’ll also be the case today - Alavés, Ceuta, Levante and Sporting Gijón all had to conjure up an upset of some sort to make it into the last 16.
As the only third-tier team still left in the cup, Ceuta come into the draw as the giant-killers-in-chief. José Juan Romero’s men, who currently sit rock bottom of Primera RFEF Group 1, stunned Elche on Tuesday, winning 1-0 thanks to an early penalty by striker Rodri.
As you can see in the results in the post below, Getafe, Real Valladolid and Rayo Vallecano were the other LaLiga teams turfed out of the tournament by theoretically inferior opposition.
(Photo: Joaquin Sanchez "Quino"/DIARIO AS)
The trophy that the teams in today's draw are vying to lift.
(Photo: RFEF/DIARIO AS)
Copa del Rey last 32: every result
...and here's how the remaining 16 all made it through the last 32, which was played this midweek:
Espanyol 3-1 Celta Vigo (aet)
La Nucía 0-3 Valencia
Cartagena 1-5 Villarreal
Cacereño 0-1 Real Madrid
Ceuta 1-0 Elche
Sporting Gijón 2-0 Rayo Vallecano
Levante 3-2 Getafe
Linares 0-5 Sevilla
Logroñés 0-1 Real Sociedad
Pontevedra 0-2 Real Mallorca
Real Oviedo 0-2 Atlético Madrid
Intercity 3-4 Barcelona
Alavés 1-0 Real Valladolid
Ibiza Islas Pitiusas 1-4 Real Betis
Gimnàstic 1-2 Osasuna
Eldense 1-6 Athletic Club
Who's in the draw for the Copa del Rey last 16?
First things first, we should probably make sure we're all clear on which teams will be in the hat.
There are 12 top-flight clubs remaining in Spain's elite men's cup competition: Athletic Club, Atlético Madrid, Barcelona, Espanyol, Real Mallorca, Osasuna, Real Betis, Real Madrid, Real Sociedad, Sevilla, Valencia and Villarreal.
There are three teams from Segunda División, Spain's second tier: Alavés, Levante and Sporting Gijón.
And there is one survivor from the third division, known as the Primera RFEF: Ceuta.
Should you also wish to watch the draw live, let me point you in the direction of our useful guide on how to do just that. My colleague Paul Reidy has the lowdown.
Copa del Rey last-16 draw: welcome!
Good morning and welcome to our live coverage of the draw for the Copa del Rey last 16.
The event gets underway at 1pm local time in Madrid - so in the US, that's 7am ET or 4am PT. In the hour and a half or so before the draw begins, I'll be bringing you all the build-up.