5 Spanish Teams That Can Cause an Upset in the Copa Del Rey This Weekend
That magical time of year is here again. The period that we've all been excitedly waiting for, when there's an ephemeral buzz in the air and dreams can come true. Yes, the Copa del Rey is back.
Like raging bulls being corralled in their pens, La Liga's top teams can now be unleashed into the arena to take on the plucky sides from the country's lower leagues.
At this stage last year, the apple cart was not disturbed: We were bereft of a good old-fashioned upset as all the big teams cruised through.
The season before last, however, lowly Albacete dumped Atletico Madrid out of the competition in unceremonious fashion. It is unfortunate that the Segunda B league leaders will not get to prove it was a fluke as they exited the competition in the second stage.
Fans of Atletico can console themselves with the fact that this was not the most famous scalp of recent years.
That unfortunate accolade belongs to their despised cross-city rivals Real—they were not only beaten on away goals by Real Union in 2008 but were then humiliated 4-0 in 2009 by local third-tier team Alcorcon. This momentous occasion has since been nicknamed Alcorconazo.
Not many teams retain the King's Cup. Barcelona were the last to do it when they won it for a consecutive year in 1998, 15 years ago.
Since then, 10 different teams have tried to break this 15-year hoodoo but have failed, with Atletico being the latest to try. If they can make it to the final, they will primarily have to navigate their way past Sant Andreu, a team who, nestled in the third tier, currently reside 50 places below the holders.
Let's now take a look at five plucky sides who will be looking to defy the script and create their own slice of history.
Celta Vigo (vs. Athletic Bilbao)
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This is a good place to start: An encounter which pits one top-flight side against another.
Behind Barcelona, Bilbao have won the Spanish Cup the most times, having captured it on 23 occasions in its 110-year history. But whilst they may hold the record for being the competition's first winners, the last time it returned to the San Mames was 1984.
With such pedigree and such prestige, Bilbao fans will be spurring their team on to build on their league form: Currently in fourth, they may be 11 points off the summit but they lead the chasing pack.
Whilst these are intimidating credentials, Celta Vigo are capable of disturbing this romanticism. The men from north-west Spain have never won the cup, but they did finish runners up back in 2001, defeated by Real Zaragoza.
However, whilst the opposition may be in high spirits having out-smarted a previously-unbeaten Barcelona team at the weekend—thus ending the champion's unbeaten start—Vigo have a trump card up their sleeve.
In the dugout sits Luis Enrique, the talismanic and enigmatic former Spain midfielder. Famed for his tenacity, the man who cut his managerial teeth at Barcelona B and Roma joined in the summer and is attempting to instil stability.
Having won the Copa del Rey three times as a player (once with Real Madrid and twice with Barcelona), the man affectionately known as Lucho—who has spent time running marathons since retiring as a player—has the drive, determination and passion to be a thorn in the side of any opposition.
Recreativo Huelva (vs. Levante)
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Sitting pretty atop the second tier, Recreativo Huelva will be hoping to eliminate Levante and proceed avanti to the next round.
Having scored 33 league goals in their 17 games thus far, they have won every other game and look well-placed to challenge for promotion, ending a five-year hiatus in Segunda B.
If they are to progress, however, the best form of attack may be defence: Having conceded 25 goals in the league, the leaders boast a goal difference of just +8.
31-year-old Spanish striker Linares is their danger man: Having joined from Elche in the summer, he has bagged seven goals in 16 games.
A maverick approach may work in Segunda B, but against well-discipline opponents—even if they have conceded 21 in their 15 league games—they will need to tighten up.
Levante may be in the top flight but only seven places separates these two sides. What's more, the La Liga team are in woeful form: Without a win in five games, they have lost their last four.
It is unlikely Recreativo will recreate the 7-0 scoreline which destroyed Levante earlier in the season but with home advantage in the first leg, they have a great chance to progress against downbeat opposition.
Girona (vs. Getafe)
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Getafe are having a solid season. Currently in seventh, they are ahead of Sevilla, Valencia and Malaga. At this trajectory, European qualification is achievable.
Girona, meanwhile, are languishing in the bowels of Segunda B. Two points off the drop zone, they occupy 17th place and are without a win in their last four games. In this downward spiral, relegation is plausible.
Ergo, this is truly an optimal time for these two worlds to collide: One riding high, giddy on confidence, the other disconsolate and in need of a boost.
The first leg takes place in the medieval town of Girona, most recently famed for being the former home of disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong. To win this tie, the Catalonians will feel like they are going through one of the grueling endurance events he knew all too well.
If they are to win, they will need their over-30s strikeforce to be firing on all cylinders: Chando, Felipe Sanchon and Gerard Bordas have a combined haul of just nine goals this season.
Although they have never graced the top flight, this will be a great opportunity for Girona to pit their wits against a side who predominantly play with just one striker.
Deploying two defensive midfielders, Getafe will look to control play. This is where Girona can break. On-loan David Timor is energetic and can pull the strings but will have to curb his ill-discipline.
Elche (vs. Villarreal)
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Outside of the games which pit the mighty against the flighty, this bout has the potential to yield the most high-octane action.
In their last five games, Elche have faced Atletico Madrid, Valencia, Getafe, Athletic Bilbao and also Villarreal (to whom they lost 1-0), Los Franjiverdes collected an admirable five points from a possible 15.
Not bad considering Atletico have title aspirations, Bilbao last weekend beat Barcelona and Valencia regularly qualify for European competitions.
Villarreal are an intimidating opposition though. Newly-promoted to the top flight this season, in Marcelino Toral they have a manager who is developing a swashbuckling and successful brand of football.
In the recent encounter between these two teams—a tetchy affair with Uche scoring a late goal to earn a 1-0 away win for Villarreal—Elche deployed an imaginative 4-2-3-1 formation which, for the most part, contained the opposition.
Riding high in fifth, there is a high probability Villarreal may deem the Copa del Rey a corollary competition. With only four strikers, their dearth of attackers may force their hand: Avoiding injuries to key players will help preserve their league status.
Cartagena (vs. Barcelona)
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The chance of an upset in this game is about as likely as Barca's big-barneted Brazilian wizard Neymar taking his wild hair and signing for the opposition. A classic "cupset" won't happen.
But before we take either of those abstract scenarios and place them in a box on a high shelf, let's indulge ourselves.
Let's imagine for a moment that the Segunda Division B team forget the fact that they were relegated last season. Forget the fact that they sit 43 places below the reigning Spanish champions.
Forget the fact they were founded in 1995, three years after Barca had already captured their first European Cup.
Let's instead hope that, using one of football's oft-used cliches, they channel the spirit of giant-killer David, slaying the mighty Goliath against the odds.
In Federico Ruiz and Fernando, they have a strike partnership which has so far combined to score 14 goals in their 16 games together. This is an opportunity for the pair to display their credentials in a bigger stage, a chance to showcase their ability to potential suitors.
The team from southern Spain can also take heed from the fact that Barcelona's unbeaten league start came to a shuddering stop at the weekend: Athletic Bilbao welcomed the champions to Basque country and defeated them 1-0.
Back in 2009/10, Cartagena reached the third round, the furthest they have yet progressed. Matching that this year, they can play with nothing to lose.
