Albacete to host Barcelona in Copa del Rey quarterfinal

Albacete's reward for beating Real Madrid in the fourth round of the Copa del Rey is a home quarterfinal against cup holder FC Barcelona.

Dani Bernabeu (C) of Albacete disputes the ball with Vinicius JR (L) of Real Madrid during the Copa del Rey round of 16 football match between Albacete and Real Madrid in Albacete, Spain, Jan. 14, 2026. (Stringer/Xinhua)

Monday's draw for the last eight means Barcelona will visit the second-tier side that produced one of the biggest cup shocks in recent years, beating Madrid 3-2 at home last Wednesday.

If Barcelona wins that match, Hansi Flick's side would reach the semifinals without having faced a top-flight opponent. Barcelona beat second division Racing Santander in last week's fourth round after having won 2-0 at third-tier Guadalajara in December.

The draw also set up a Basque derby between Alaves and Real Sociedad. Real Betis hosts Atletico Madrid in one of the ties of the round, while Valencia is at home to Athletic Club.