The pairings for the final 32 of the Copa del Rey were set on Friday, giving Yunus Musah and Valencia a straightforward opener, while Luca de la Torre and Celta Vigo have a tough task against fellow La Liga side Espanyol.
The third round proper of the competition saw the final four teams – those participating in the Supercopa de España – enter the fray, notably including Yunus Musah and last year’s runners-up Valencia.
Needing four wins to reach the final for a second straight win, Musah and his teammates should be confident of getting off on the right foot against third-tier CF La Nucía, who upset La Liga 2 club Las Palmas on penalties Thursday night.
Musah was generally strong in Valencia’s run in the competition last season, scoring several goals on the way to the final, although he did miss what ended up being the decisive penalty in the shoot-out loss against Real Betis.
Luca de la Torre and Celta Vigo had little trouble to dispatch of Gernika on Thursday, with the American netting his first goal for the club. They will have a much tougher task ahead in early-January’s as they drew the round’s only matchup between top-division clubs.
The current 17th-place La Liga team will pay a visit to Espanyol, who are one place above, with a trip to the final 16 on the line.
Luca Koleosho, who has been used sparingly by Espanyol this season, missed the team’s narrow 1-0 win over fourth-division Atlético Paso on Tuesday.
Finally, Jonathan Gomez, who has yet to take the field for Real Sociedad’s first team so far this season, will likely play no role when they visit UD Logroñés.
The games are set to take place in the midweek, from January 3-5.
Copa del Rey Round of 32 draw
CF La Nucía – Valencia CF (Yunus Musah)
UD Logroñés – Real Sociedad (Jonathan Gomez)
Espanyol (Luca Koleosho) – Celta Vigo (Luca de la Torre)
