#copa-del-rey

#copa-del-rey

The Estadio Carlos Belmonte will be the stage for a compelling Copa del Rey quarter-final on Tuesday evening, as Segunda División side Albacete Balompié look to extend their remarkable run in the competition. Barcelona, 32-time winners and the most successful club in the cup's history, arrive as overwhelming favourites but wary of a host riding the wave of a fairytale campaign.

I still see it today, because videos of the goal and that day keep popping up on my social media feeds.

Barcelona's 'Shark' is now the team's top scorer in the 2025-26 season and has 11 goals in La Liga, two in the Champions League and one each in the Super Cup and the Copa del Rey. He's the only Barca player to have scored in all four competitions. For all the criticism he's received and the doubts that hang over him still, there's simply no denying that 15 goals from 26 outings is a very good return.

According to SPORT, Barcelona captain Marc-Andre ter Stegen's very likely absence from the Copa del Rey starting line-up tonight could accelerate his departure, amid interest from Girona. The 33-year-old German international finds himself in a tricky situation, having to choose between staying at Barça without playing and risking his spot in the national team for the World Cup, or leaving on loan in search of minutes.