Real Madrid cannot stumble again in Villarreal and Barça seeks to extend its euphoria in Ceuta

MADRID, 18 Ene. (EUROPA PRESS) -

Real Madrid and FC Barcelona will try to seal their ticket for the quarterfinals of the Copa del Rey this Thursday in their duels of different depths against Villarreal and Ceuta respectively, and which they also arrive with very different feelings after the Supercopa de Spain.

The Madrid team and the Castellón team are surely experiencing the most attractive round of 16 clash, with Carlo Ancelotti's men visiting the Estadio de la Cerámica (9:00 p.m.) with many doubts after their clear defeat in the final against Barça in the final of the tournament played in Saudi Arabia.

The current European champion lost his first title of a 2023 where he has not started with too much confidence and still unable to offer a good game. Only one victory, in the Cup and against Cacereño in the Segunda RFEF by a solitary 0-1, in his four games, with the addition that he was clearly subdued by the Catalans.

Riyadh's was one of the two defeats conceded by Carlo Ancelotti's men. The other was precisely on the stage this Thursday, an Estadio de la Cerámica where he could not counteract a great Villarreal who hopes to repeat his performance to end one more year early with the options in the 'k.o' tournament of his rival .

Real Madrid arrives in need in a stretch of the calendar without respite, but their best version always tends to come out of that urgency, the one they will need to 'throw down' a team led by Quique Setién in a field where they have not been able to win in their last six league visits, five with draws until the 2-1 defeat on January 7.

The Madrid team is accusing problems in defense and has also lost the 'sparkle' up top, victim of the lazy moment that Vinicius Jr has been dragging along for some time. Without the injured Tchouameni, Alaba and Lucas Vázquez, the 'touched' Carvajal and a Modric who is the only one who gives rest, despite the tough visit to San Mamés at the weekend, Ancelotti will have to have an eleven without too many tests, beyond the doubts on the right side that Nacho, Odriozola and even Vinicius Tobías, side of the subsidiary, opt for.

Opposite, a Villarreal that aspires to surprise the 14-time European champion again and advance in a Copa del Rey that has not been too beneficial in its history either, since it has only reached the semifinals once, in 2015. To do this, He intends to become strong again in a stadium that is seeing a cup duel again for the first time since January 9, 2019 (2-2 against Espanyol).

Now, immersed in a great moment of play and after overcoming initial doubts after the arrival of Quique Setién as Unai Emery's replacement, the 'Yellow Submarine' is optimistic about this duel despite their draw at Balaídos, which ended a streak of six consecutive victories between League and Cup.

The Cantabrian coach seems to have his best eleven for sure compared to the game against Celta, where he did some rotation resting Capoue and Yéremi Pino, and with the presumable return of Raúl Albiol and Alex Baena, suspended in Vigo.

After winning the aforementioned Super Cup, FC Barcelona wants to continue its good moment, undefeated as it is in the short time to come in 2023, with a victory in the Copa del Rey that will bring them closer to being able to lift another title again. Competition of which he is also the 'King of Cups'.

Xavi Hernández is clear about it; We must continue the Super Cup. It is the motto that the Terrassa coach will try to make it fit in the dressing room. Because losing in Ceuta, against a team that is bottom in their First RFEF group, would be the worst possible hangover after winning the Super Cup in Riyadh.

The coach himself knows that there are always surprises in the Cup and made it clear that they do not want to star in this round of 16. In favor of Barça, they play that, in the round of 32, they already had to take extra time to eliminate an InterCity that, full of former players from the Masia blaugrana, played a great game with which they came close to knocking out the 'culés'.

With a 3-4 draw in a match that, to be sure, was beautiful for the neutral spectator and fan of both clubs, Barça passed the round but did so with a clear message written down; no relaxation or thinking superior. On paper, it is, and a lot, about a Ceuta that closes its League, two steps below a LaLiga Santander that Barça leads.

It is clearly a duel of contrasts that will fill the Alfonso Murube Stadium. Ceuta comes from drawing in the First RFEF against Castilla (2-2), third. A good result to face a new cup round, and dream of repeating the feats experienced against Elche (1-0), Ibiza (3-2) and Utrera (0-1). Three rounds past wishing they were four.

In addition, the 'Caballas' coach, José Juan Romero, assured in the preview that they would try to play with their style, with the ball, trying to win a battle for possession that seems lost from the start. And it is that Barça, just in case, goes to Ceuta with almost everything. Including his 'killer' Robert Lewandowski, who will already rest in LaLiga as he is still sanctioned.

On the other hand, the Uruguayan central defender Ronald Araujo ended up touched after the final of the Spanish Super Cup and will rest against Ceuta. Who will not be, by club orders, is a Memphis Depay whose contract ends in June and who could be on the starting ramp, close to closing a transfer in this winter market.

The rest of the blaugrana artillery will be in Ceuta and it will be Xavi who decides if he rotates more or less with respect to the ideal 'plan A'. Everything indicates that the goal will be for Iñaki Peña, as against Intercity, and that Gavi or Pedri could rest from the start after the brilliant Super Cup signed.

Whoever plays will have the clear mission of getting a ticket to the quarterfinals and advancing in the club's fetish competition, to try to add the Cup to the Super Cup. There is still a long way to go to that end, and Ceuta will try to continue partying and for Barça to 'pay them' and invite another cup round.

AD Ceuta CF - FC Barcelona 20.00.

Villarreal CF - Real Madrid 21.00.