MADRID — In the upcoming third round of the Copa del Rey, two of Spain’s football giants, Barcelona and Real Madrid, will square off against teams from the fourth division.

Barcelona is set to clash with Barbastro, a team that previously made headlines by defeating the top-flight Espanyol in the second round of the tournament. Meanwhile, Real Madrid will be taking on Deportiva Minera.

Both Barcelona and Real Madrid received automatic byes in the early rounds of the competition as they are currently competing in the Spanish Super Cup. Last year’s Copa finalists, Mallorca and Athletic Bilbao, also enter the fray during this round due to their involvement in the Super Cup.

Notably, Barbastro faced Barcelona in the same round of the Copa last year, where they narrowly lost 3-2.

Additionally, two other fourth-division teams will be in action, with Pontevedra hosting Mallorca and Logrones going up against Athletic Bilbao.

These matchups are part of a single-elimination format, which is scheduled to occur during the first week of January.

In another match-up, Atletico Madrid will challenge the third-division team Marbella.

The competition brings excitement as teams vie for the prestigious title, with all eyes on potential surprises and thrilling encounters in the knockout stages.