Key Takeaways from the Third Round of Spain's Copa del Rey This Week

Madrid, Jan 6 (NationPress) The third round of the Copa del Rey knockout tournament delivered a few surprises over the weekend, but the majority of the favored teams have advanced to the last 16.

Barcelona, Sevilla, and Valladolid were among the top-tier clubs that secured victories, while Las Palmas faced elimination and Logrones challenged Athletic Club of Bilbao significantly before the defending champions managed to survive.

Here are four significant insights from this weekend in Spain.

1. Barcelona Maintains Focus Amidst Off-Pitch Chaos

Despite the turmoil surrounding FC Barcelona's inability to register Dani Olmo and Pau Victor in their first-team roster due to financial fair play constraints, coach Hansi Flick deserves recognition for keeping the squad concentrated.

Barcelona presented a solid performance to achieve a 4-0 victory away against fourth-tier Barbastro on Saturday, with Flick selecting a strong lineup to mitigate risks against a team they narrowly defeated 3-2 last season, as reported by Xinhua. Flick will be pleased to see Pablo Torre stepping into Olmo's position with an outstanding performance, while the return of Ronald Araujo offers him additional options for a defense that has endured a hectic start to the season.

2. Logrones Challenges Defending Champion Athletic Club

Ahead of the defending champions' Copa del Rey debut against fourth-tier Logrones, coach Ernesto Valverde expressed his concerns about facing lower division teams, and after playing 120 minutes at Las Gaunas Stadium, it was evident that Valverde's worries were justified.

He utilized several reserve players in Saturday's match, and while Athletic was solid defensively, the dry and slow pitch hindered their ability to impose the speed required to score against a team that had only conceded nine goals all season and previously eliminated Girona in penalties. Logrones forced a penalty shootout, where Athletic goalkeeper Julen Agirrezabala emerged as the hero once again, just as he did in last season's final, but Valverde will be eager to avoid a repeat of that uncertainty in the next round.

3. Las Palmas Exits Again

Las Palmas faced a potentially upsetting match against the in-form second division team Elche, as they were more focused on ensuring their survival in the top flight rather than advancing in the Copa del Rey.

However, few anticipated that Elche would dominate the visitors with a 4-0 victory, as Las Palmas displayed performance levels suggesting they had undergone an eight-hour flight instead of the two-and-a-half hours it actually takes to travel from the Canary Islands to Spain. This marks the seventh consecutive year that Las Palmas has failed to reach the last 16, indicating that the tournament is not a priority for them.

4. Other Top-Tier Teams Also Suffer Consequences

The fans of Sevilla who traveled to Almeria sought answers from their players after suffering a humiliating 4-1 defeat against the second-division leaders, who completely outplayed them after they took an early lead. Valladolid, sitting at the bottom of the table, demonstrated the extent of their struggles by allowing Ourense to come back twice to win 3-2, while fourth-tier Pontevedra outclassed last season's finalists, Mallorca, who seemed to lack enthusiasm.