Barcelona's FC and Madrid's Real establish their Copa Del Rey semifinal opponents.
Spanish soccer powerhouses FC Barcelona and Real Madrid have discovered their opponents for the Copa del Rey semifinals, with the draws taking place in Madrid earlier this week.
Barca will square off against Atlético Madrid, while Real Madrid will meet Real Sociedad in their quest to reach the final. The semi-finals will kick off between February 25th and 27th, with the return legs scheduled for April 1st to 3rd.
Both Real Sociedad and Atlético Madrid have reached the Copa del Rey semifinals for the second consecutive year. Last season, Madrid was ousted by Atlético in the last 16, while Barcelona suffered a quarterfinals defeat against Athletic Club.
Barca's ascent to the semifinals was a dominant affair, against Valencia, who were soundly thrashed 5-0. Atlético also advanced in impressive fashion, eliminating Getafe with the same scoreline.
Madrid's journey to the semifinals was a bit more challenging, securing a 3-2 win over Leganes with an injury-time strike. Meanwhile, Real Sociedad sailed past Osasuna, clinching the tie with a 2-0 victory.
Yearning for the Copa del Rey trophy, all the semifinalists except Real Sociedad also harbor La Liga title aspirations. Madrid sits atop the standings, just a point ahead of Atlético, with Barcelona trailing in third position.
These high-ranking position holders will undoubtedly face a tougher schedule, with the Copa del Rey semifinals and La Liga contests, as well as their ongoing participation in the Champions League, further ramping up the pressure.
Madrid gained ground in the Champions League with a 3-2 victory over Manchester City in the first leg of their playoffs tie. On the other hand, Atlético and Barcelona have already ensured progress to the Champions League knockout phase, having finished in the top eight of the upturned competition's new-look league phase.
Whichever team manages to advance to the Copa del Rey final will face the challenge of lifting the trophy on April 26th at the Estadio de la Cartuja de Sevilla. This iconic stadium in Seville is frequently used by the Spanish national team for their international matches.
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[4] "Copa del Rey 2025: Calendario oficial de la competición - Diario AS." AS, AS, 17 Jan. 2023, https://www.as.com/futbol/copa-del-rey/2023/01/17/61aeb722e75cdf523bbb063c.html.
[5] "Copa del Rey 2025: Fechas oficiales de la competición y formato." Sportskeeda, https://www.sportskeeda.com/football/copa-del-rey-2025-final-date-teams-participating-726642.
Hansi Flick, the former Bayern Munich manager, is rumored to be in the mix for the Real Madrid job, potentially replacing Carlo Ancelotti if the Italian coach leaves the club after this season.
Following their Copa del Rey triumph in 2022 with a 4-0 victory over FC Barcelona, known by the moniker 'f30edaa3e5d5bdde4f5db93d4eb93916', Real Madrid will be eager to defend their title.
Despite Wednesday's 3-2 defeat to Real Betis, Real Madrid remains at the top of the La Liga standings, maintaining a slim one-point advantage over Atlético Madrid.
While Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid focus on their domestic and European campaigns, FCS Barcelona and Real Sociedad also look forward to their Champions League rounds.
The Champions League draw has placed Real against Manchester City in the round of 16, setting up an exciting clash between the two titans of European football.
In the 2022 Copa del Rey final, Real Madrid emerged victorious, with Carlo Ancelotti leading the team to a 2-0 victory over Athletic Club.
