Levante, Barça's opponent in the Copa del Rey Round of 16

Levante will be FC Barcelona's opponents in the Copa del Rey Round of 16, after the draw was held on Thursday afternoon at the headquarters of the RFEF in Las Rozas.

The first leg, at the Ciutat de Valencia, will be played on the 8th or 10th of January, with the return at the Camp Nou just one week later on either the 15, 16 or 17 January. 

Two precedents with the current format

Barça and Levante have faced each other twice over two legs in the knockout stages of the Copa del Rey (2004 and 2014). Of those matches, the Blaugranes won three and lost the other.

In 2004, the Valencian team won the away game played on January 8 (1-0), but a 3-1 win at the Camp Nou six days later, with goals from Iniesta, Saviola and Ronaldinho, saw Barça progress.

The 2014 edition saw FC Barcelona win both legs. A Tello hat-trick and an own goal from Juanfran saw the visitors triumph (1-4) on January 24, 2014. Seven days later at the Camp Nou the win was even more emphatic (5-1), with goals from Alexis (x2), Adriano, Puyol and Cesc.

Three other Cup competitions

The teams also faced each other in the second round of the Copa de Alfonso XIII during the 1925/26 season. FC Barcelona won both legs, 5-0 and 4-1. Years later, in the so-called President’s Cup, Levante took the tie in a third match (0-3), after drawing in both legs: 2-2 and 1-1.

Finally, there were two Barça victories (8-1 and 3-2) in the 1942/43 edition of the Copa del Generalísimo.