Murcia vs. Barcelona: 2017 Spanish Copa del Rey Leg 1 Live Stream, TV Info
Copa del Rey holders Barcelona travel to Murcia in the competition's round of 32 on Tuesday. Barca will likely rotate players for the first leg as they deal with the demands of La Liga and the UEFA Champions League.
The Blaugrana are in strong form in both competitions. Manager Ernesto Valverde's squad tops the table in La Liga and leads the way in Group D of the UEFA Champions League.
Before a preview, here are the schedule and viewing details:
Date: Tuesday, October 24
Time: 8:30 p.m. BST/3:30 p.m. ET
TV Info: beIN Sports
Live Stream: fuboTV
Both teams will enter this match in excellent form. The hosts have won their last three and five out of six overall, per Sky Sports. Meanwhile, the same source revealed how Barca are unbeaten in six matches across all competitions.
Valverde has lots of options to rotate his squad, even if it means using fringe players he would like to see sold. The manager reportedly wants Barcelona to offload striker Paco Alcacer, along with midfielders Rafinha and Arda Turan, according to Spanish publication Sport (h/t Dan Gibbs of the Daily Express).
Alcacer and Turan could be on their way out, but both could also be useful starters in the early rounds of the cup. Turan can still pick a pass and also boasts a keen eye for goal.
Speaking of finding the net, Alcacer can do it, too, despite his inconsistent form since moving to Barca from Valencia in 2016. The 24-year-old has made just one start in the league this season, per WhoScored.com, but he is talented enough to lead the line in Murcia.
Valverde would be wise to rest star forwards Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez for this first-leg match. Alcacer is wanted by Lille, Southampton and Celta Vigo, but he is "still hopeful of turning things around at Camp Nou," per Sport.
Helping himself to a few goals against lower-league opposition would be a great way for Alcacer to convince Valverde he still has value in this squad.
One academy player who has a good chance to feature is tricky winger Jose Arnaiz, who is a transfer target for Real Madrid, according to Diario Gol (h/t the Daily Star's Callum Vurley).
As noted by Sport, the 22-year-old has drawn comparisons to Messi and has caught Valverde's eye already this season.
A cup match is the ideal format for a precocious talent like Arnaiz to make his mark.
Valverde's remit is to win La Liga and the Champions League after Barca missed out to bitter rivals Real in both competitions last season. Yet the 53-year-old won't want to ignore a competition his predecessor Luis Enrique won the last three seasons in a row.
