Albacete Balompié will host FC Barcelona in the Copa del Rey quarter-finals at the Estadio Carlos Belmonte this week.
The hosts will be looking to pull off a huge cup upset in an intriguing tie between the Segunda Division underdogs and the defending La Liga Primera Division champions.
Barça have only lost one of the 14 meetings between the two sides, having won their last six encounters in a row.
Albacete vs Barcelona – Match preview and team news
- Date: Tuesday, 3rd February.
- Kick-off: 8pm BST.
- Venue: Estasio Carlos Belmonte, Albacete.
Albacete team news
Albacete will be without Edward Cedeno, who recently underwent surgery and is not expected to feature. Higinio Marín is considered a major doubt due to a thigh problem and is unlikely to be risked from the start. Aside from those issues, Alberto González is expected to have the majority of his squad available for selection.
Barcelona team news
Barcelona have confirmed that Raphinha will miss the trip to Albacete after suffering an adductor strain in his right leg. An official club medical note stated that the Brazilian will be sidelined for approximately one week as a precaution. He was withdrawn at half-time during Barça’s 3-1 La Liga win over Elche at the weekend.
Gavi remains a long-term absentee after undergoing surgery on a serious knee injury, while Pedri is still out with a hamstring problem. The Spain international is expected to return later in February.
Andreas Christensen is also unavailable due to a cruciate ligament issue. On a more positive note, Jules Koundé was given the green light after a minor scare and has been passed fit, although rotation is still likely.
Form
Albacete: DWWWW
Albacete’s form has surged in recent weeks, with the Castilla-La Mancha outfit on a five-match unbeaten run in all competitions.
Their 3-2 giant-killing of Real Madrid in the last round has been the standout result of their season, showcasing their resilience and clinical edge in front of goal.
In the Segunda, three successive victories have pulled them away from the relegation zone and put them within five points of a place in the play-offs.
Barcelona: LWWWW
Barcelona sit atop La Liga with 55 points from 22 matches, holding a narrow lead over Real Madrid in the title race. Hansi Flick’s side have won four of their last five across all competitions, most recently beating Elche 3-1 away thanks to 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, Albacete vs Barcelona is being shown on Premier Sports 1.
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