PREVIEW | Unionistas Salamanca v FC Barcelona

There has been a rather sombre mood at FC Barcelona this last few days after the team was soundly beaten by Real Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup Final in Riyadh. But the past cannot be changed and instead the team now needs to focus on the three trophies that it can still win this season, and ultimately the three most important ones.

That begins with the Copa del Rey, where Barça are once again playing a lower league side, this time Unionistas of Salamanca (Thursday at 7.30pm CET, click here for times and broadcasters where you are). Although on paper this should be a simple enough win against a side two tiers below them in the football pyramid, the reality is likely to be very different indeed. For evidence of that we need to look no further than the game against Barbastro in the previous round, where the Catalans certainly didn't have everything their way. Particularly in the second half there were moments when the amateur club put their illustrious guests under considerable threat, although Barça ended up winning 3-2.

Unionistas play in the tier above Barbasto, in the same division as Barça Atlètic, who they actually played just a few days ago, winning 2-0 at the Estadi Johan Cruyff. And in the previous round, they knocked out none other than Villarreal, in a peculiar game that was suspended due to a power cut and had to completed the following day, eventually to be decided by a penalty shootout.

This is the first time that the side founded in 2013 has ever played the senior Barça team, although this fan-owned institution is in many ways the continuation of the now defunct Salamanca team that until a quarter of a century ago was playing in La Liga.

All the above indicates a very clear warning. Underestimate Unionistas at your peril.

Team news

After almost all of the squad were back to full fitness, a new spate of injuries has again decimated the FC Barcelona first team squad. While Gavi, Marcos Alonso, Marc-André ter Stegen, Iñigo Martínez and João Cancelo were already unavailable, Raphinha has now returned from Saudi Arabia with a fitness issue. And to make matters even harder, for this game neither Ronald Araujo nor Lamine Yamal can play due to red card suspensions, the latter because of an incident a year ago when playing for the youth team.

New signing Vitor Roque did not feature in the Spanish Super Cup Final due to a minor fitness issue, but has been named for this one and the coach has said he is likely to get some playing time.

Did you know?

This is the furthest that Unionistas have ever progressed in this competition. Their best campaign until now was 2019/20, when they reached the last 32 and went out 3-1 to Real Madrid.

Barça are on a run of 25 consecutive games without defeat against lower league teams in the cup. The last time they lost was in 2011 to Real Betis, who were in the second division at the time.

Barça could win their fifth Copa del Rey match in a row on the road, something they have not done for 35 years.

Xavi says

On Wednesday, the coach said "we need to get the positive vibes back. We are clearly favourites and want to be in the quarter finals. But Unionistas are a team with a face and eyes. They are good in the air, play direct football and have very clear ideas. It won't be an easy place to go. For them it is the biggest game of their lives."