Cultural Leonesa vs. Barcelona: Copa Del Rey Leg 1 Live Stream, Odds, More

Barcelona will begin the defence of their Copa del Rey title on Wednesday when they travel to Cultural Leonesa for the first leg of their last-32 clash.

The Blaugrana have dominated this tournament in recent years, and victory in 2018-19 would make it their fifth trophy win in succession. Last term they produced a masterful performance in the final to beat Sevilla 5-0, and they will be keen to continue their tremendous tradition in the competition.

Leonesa will hope to at least put up a stiff resistance over the course of the two legs, and in the first match, at their Reino de Leon Stadium, they may even fancy their chances of springing a surprise against a likely much-changed Barcelona team.

Copa del Rey Odds 

Barcelona (11/8)

Real Madrid (2/1)

Atletico Madrid (11/2)

Sevilla (16/1)

Valencia (20/1)

Odds courtesy of OddsChecker

Date: Wednesday, October 31

Time: 8:30 p.m. (GMT), 4:30 p.m. (ET)

Live Stream: beIN Sports Connect (U.S.)

Preview

LLUIS GENE/Getty Images

Following on from their Clasico showdown with Real Madrid on Sunday and a busy schedule to come, manager Ernesto Valverde will surely use this fixture as a chance to rest some of his key players and give others on the fringes an opportunity.

A couple of footballers Barcelona fans have been keen to see more from as of late are wingers Ousmane Dembele and Malcom.

In the case of Dembele there have been reports that Barcelona are not happy with his conduct off the pitch. According to Sport, key members of the squad and Valverde were not impressed when he wasn't ready to come on in the clash with Sevilla recently.

This fixture will surely provide Dembele with an opportunity to show what he is capable of, albeit against third-tier opposition. Per Squawka, when he is in the right mood, Dembele can be such an asset:

Malcom, meanwhile, is also set to get a chance to add to the meagre 25 minutes of football he has played for Barcelona since his transfer from Bordeaux in the summer.

While clearly a huge talent, as of yet he's not been trusted with much action in La Liga or the UEFA Champions League, although this competition appears primed for him to get a run out.

Malcom has actually been linked with a possible transfer away from Barcelona as early as January following his challenging start to life in Catalonia. According to Lluis Miguelsanz of Sport, the Blaugrana have been asked by Inter Milan about his availability.

Despite his issues, if Malcom can find some form there's no doubt he can offer something to the Barca cause:

Valverde may also look at other youngsters, including Carles Alena, Sergi Samper and Munir El Haddadi.

Leonesa will look to make the most of this rare opportunity to go up against a world-class outfit, and if Barcelona let complacency creep into their game there is a chance they can make matters awkward.

The third-tier side have started the Segunda Division B campaign well after their relegation last season and sit in fourth position in the table. Even so, there will be a chasm in quality on display in this encounter, and Barcelona should take a healthy lead into the second leg at the Camp Nou.

Prediction: Cultural Leonesa 0-2 Barcelona