Underdog Dream Sparks Copa del Rey Quarterfinals: Barca Draws Albacete
19 January 2026
Will the underdog pull off another upset against the Clasico champions?
The Copa del Rey quarterfinal draw, held Monday at the Luis Aragonés hall in Las Rozas, produced an enticing pairing for Barcelona.
Quarterfinal Draw Sparks Interest
Barcelona will face Albacete, who play in the second tier, but the drama is that this club knocked Real Madrid out of the competition in the previous round.
Other Ties in the Quarterfinals
The other quarterfinals pit Deportivo Alavés against Real Sociedad, while Atletico Madrid meets Real Betis, and Valencia faces Athletic Bilbao.
The Spanish Football Federation confirmed the matches will be played on February 3, 4 and 5.
An Albacete forward who scored twice against Real Madrid in the Round of 16 watched the draw live and told AS that it is beautiful to dream. He said they are eager to learn the next opponent, and that they delivered a near-perfect performance against Real Madrid, scoring twice to help the team advance.
Punchline 1: If Albacete pull off the upset, the trophy might finally learn to share the spotlight.
Punchline 2: And if Barca win, remember—the cup still needs a snack break to keep its cool.
