Copa del Rey first round begins with tough draws for Rayo and Espanyol

First round of Copa del Rey kicks off in Spain with tough games for Rayo and Espanyol

Madrid, Oct 26

The knockout format means that lower-division clubs get home advantage against top-flight opponents in the opening rounds, providing them with an important source of revenue and raising hopes of a giant-killing act.

The first round features clubs from across Spain's football pyramid, including several amateur and regional sides that have qualified through the preliminary rounds and will host La Liga opponents.

Cup holders Real Sociedad, FC Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid, who will compete in the Spanish Supercup in February, are exempt from the first two rounds, reports Xinhua.

The gulf in quality between amateur sides and La Liga clubs makes an upset unlikely, but the competition offers players from clubs such as Pinatar, who host Elche, Sporting de Alcazar, who face Malaga, and Manacor, who entertain Villarreal, a night to remember.

Rayo Vallecano and Espanyol face particularly challenging assignments against Recreativo de Huelva and Sestao River, respectively. Both opponents are competing in the fourth tier of Spanish football (Segunda Federación) and reached the final of the Copa Federación, which will be played in November.

Recreativo de Huelva, founded in 1889 and recognised as Spain's oldest football club, reached the Copa del Rey final as recently as 2003, losing 3-0 to Mallorca. The club currently leads Group IV of the Segunda Federacion with 17 points from eight games and could pose a threat to Rayo Vallecano, who suffered a 3-0 home defeat to Elche on Saturday.

Espanyol coach Manolo Gonzalez is under considerable pressure as he takes his side to Sestao, on the outskirts of Bilbao.

Espanyol's 2-1 defeat to Racing Santander on Saturday left the Barcelona-based side in the La Liga relegation zone, prompting speculation about Gonzalez's future.

Sestao River will welcome Espanyol to their Las Llanas Stadium after making an impressive start to their campaign in the Segunda Federacion, where it also leads its group.

Espanyol were knocked out of the Copa del Rey last season away to Atletico Baleares, which was then in the third tier (RFEF I), and another upset would surely speed up Gonzalez's departure.

— IANS