Albacete Balompié will play FC Barcelona in the Copa del Rey quarter-finals at Estadio Carlos Belmonte this week.
The home team hopes to create an upset against the defending La Liga champions in this exciting matchup.
Barcelona has won 13 of their 14 encounters with Albacete, including their last six meetings.
Albacete vs Barcelona – Match preview and team news
- Date: Tuesday, 3rd February.
- Kick-off: 8pm BST.
- Venue: Estadio Carlos Belmonte, Albacete.
Albacete team news
Albacete will be missing Edward Cedeno, who had surgery recently and is out. Higinio Marín is doubtful due to a thigh issue and may not start. Besides these two, the majority of the squad is available for selection.
Barcelona team news
Barcelona confirmed that Raphinha will not make the trip to Albacete after injuring his right leg. He is expected to be out for about a week. He was substituted at halftime during the recent 3-1 win over Elche.
Gavi is still recovering from knee surgery, and Pedri is unavailable due to a hamstring injury, but he is expected back later in February.
Andreas Christensen is also out with a ligament issue. On a positive note, Jules Koundé has been cleared to play after a minor scare, though the team might still rotate players.
Form
Albacete: DWWWW
Albacete is in good form, currently on a five-match unbeaten streak in all competitions. Their notable 3-2 victory over Real Madrid in the last round highlighted their skill and determination.
In the Segunda, they have won three consecutive matches, moving away from the relegation zone and coming within five points of the play-off spots.
Barcelona: LWWWW
Barcelona leads La Liga with 55 points from 22 matches, holding a slim lead over Real Madrid. They have won four of their last five matches, including a 3-1 victory against Elche with goals from Lamine Yamal, Ferran Torres, and Marcus Rashford.
Predicted lineups
Albacete: Raul Lizoain; Aguado, Moreno, Neva, Gomez; Capi, Pacheco, Villar, Melendez; Betancor, Medina
Barcelona: Garcia; Balde, Garcia, Cubarsi, Kounde; Lopez, Bernal, Olmo; Rashford, Torres, Yamal
How to watch Albacete vs Barcelona?
In the UK, the match will be available on Premier Sports 1.
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