PREVIEW | FC Barcelona v Real Betis

FC Barcelona, following their spectacular 5-2 win over Real Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup Final, have had just three days to travel home from Saudi Arabia and start preparing for a Wednesday 9pm kick-off in the Copa del Rey, in what will be their first appearance at the Estadi Olímpic in 2025.

They sealed their place in the last sixteen thanks to their 4-0 win at UD Barbastro less than a fortnight ago, and now get home advantage as they and the Andalusians battle for a place in the quarter finals of the national knockout competition, which they are looking to win for the first time since 2021.

The game will naturally be proceeded by a parade of the trophy won in such tremendous fashion in Jeddah on Sunday night, and there will also be a minute's silence in memory of Peruvian star of the 1970s Hugo Sotil, who passed away late last year.

Betis faltering

Real Betis, winners of this trophy themselves three years ago, had picked up some decent form early on this season, but things have taken a turn for the worse, with just one win in their last eight league games, 2-1 away to Villarreal.

However, that run of results has included a 2-2 draw with Barça at their own Benito Villamarin. Lewandowski opened the scoring, but Lo Celso equalised from the penalty spot. And although the Catalans looked to have snatched the three points thanks to Ferran Torres, a goal from Assane Diao in the depths of injury time meant they'd have to settle for a single point.

Their cup run has produced happier results, although until now the draw has been very kind to them. They crushed Gévora of Extremadura 6-1 and then came to Barcelona to play lower league outfit Sant Andreu, winning 3-1. A solitary goal from Isco then earned them a place in the last 16 at the home of second division Huesca.

Betis are also competing in the UEFA Conference League this season, and have made it into the playoff round, where they'll meet Gent of Belgium.

Playing Betis also means a homecoming for former blaugrana players Héctor Bellerín, Marc Bartra, Vitor Roque and Abde Ezzalzouli.

Last cup meeting

This is the first time that Barça and Betis have met in the Copa del Rey since 2011, when the green-and-whites were going through a bad patch and playing second division football.

Barça romped to a 5-0 win in the first leg at Camp Nou, Leo Messi getting a hat-trick. It didn't look like there was any way out of that for Betis, but they scored two goals in the first seven minutes of the second leg to raise the possibility of an extraordinary comeback. It didn't happen, the game eventually ending 3-1 and Barça comfortably progressed 6-3 on aggregate.

Team news

Other than long-term absentees Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Marc Bernal, and with Andreas Christensen still not quite match fit (he could be back for the weekend fixture against Getafe), Barça also go into this one without Iñigo Martinez, who picked up a minor hamstring injury in Saudi Arabia and will be out for what are expected to be a few weeks.

For Betis, the main fitness issues concern the absences of defensive midfielders William Carvalho and Marc Roca.

Click here for coach Hansi Flick's views ahead of the game.