Barcelona are seeking to win the Copa del Rey for a record 31st occasion and will face Levante in the round of 16, with the first leg to be played at Estadi Ciutat de Valencia on Thursday.
The Catalans made a winning start to 2019, beating Getafe 2-1 last Sunday thanks to goals from Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, carrying them five points ahead of second-placed Atletico Madrid in La Liga.
Levante, meanwhile, find themselves 10th in the Primera Division but are only six points clear of the drop zone in what is a fiercely congested league. As such, their cup ambitions may be tempered slightly.
| Game | Levante vs Barcelona |
| Date | Thursday, January 10 |
| Time | 8:30pm GMT / 3:30pm ET |
| Stream (US only) | fubo TV (7-day free trial) |
TV Channel, Live Stream & How To Watch
In the United States (US), the game can be watched live and on-demand with fuboTV (7-day free trial).
New users can sign up for a free seven-day trial of the live sports streaming service, which can be accessed via iOS, Android, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, Roku and Apple TV as well as on a web browser.
| US TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| beIN Sports | fubo TV (7-day free trial) |
In the United Kingdom (UK), the game will not be broadcast.
| UK TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| N/A | N/A |
Squads & Team News
| Position | Levante squad |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Oier, Koke, Fernandez |
| Defenders | Cabaco, Rober, Benito, Chema, Coke, Postigo |
| Midfielders | Jason, Rochina, Campana, Bardhi, Tono, Prcic, Vukcevic, Samu Garcia |
| Forwards | Roger, Morales, Mayoral, Simon, Dwamena, Boateng |
Levante should be able to name a full-strength starting XI should they wish. Meanwhile, they will be bereft of Antonio Luno and Armando Sadiku.
Confirmed Levante starting XI: Fernandez; Coke, Chema, Postigo, Cabaco; Simon, Prcic, Campana, Rochina; Mayoral, Boateng
| Position | Barcelona squad |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Ter Stegen, Cillessen |
| Defenders | Semedo, Pique, Lenglet, Alba, Miranda, Gonzalez, Chumi |
| Midfielders | Rakitic, Busquets, Vidal, Denis Suarez, Arthur, Alena |
| Forwards | Messi, Suarez, Coutinho, Dembele, Munir, Malcom |
Barcelona have a handful of problems, with Thomas Vermaelen, Samuel Umtiti and Rafinha all missing once again. Sergi Samper is also unavailable.
With a packed schedule, Ernesto Valverde has opted to rotate his squad and give several players lacking match sharpness the chance to shine.
Denis Suarez is reportedly close to a move to Arsenal and has not been selected, while Munir is not playing as his contract stalemate continues.
Senior players Sergio Busquets, Philippe Coutinho, Ousmane Dembele, Malcolm and Arturo Vidal have been selected from the off.
Confirmed Barcelona starting XI: Cillessen; Semedo, Murillo, Chumi, Miranda; Busquets, Vidal, Alena; Malcom, Dembele, Coutnho
Betting & Match Odds
Barcelona are favourites to win, with odds of 2/5 at bet365 . Levante are at 5/1, while a draw is priced at 9/2.
Match Preview
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January is a busy month for Barcelona, who will play at least six matches before it is out – and potentially up to eight, should they navigate their Copa del Rey clash with Levante successfully.
Aside from two encounters against the mid-table outfit, they will tackle Eibar, Leganes and Girona in La Liga, and though these are not the most testing fixtures, the sheer volume of matches will stretch the depth of their squad.
Ernesto Valverde’s side have already been active in the transfer window, although their move to sign teenage French defender Jean-Clair Todibo will only benefit the side in the summer when the Toulouse youngster completes a Bosman switch to Camp Nou.
The coach’s future, meanwhile, has been in doubt as his deal is up at the end of the season, and despite a successful tenure thus far has not been handed an extension.
“It's a decision that he will make and we will respect because he is the coach,” Gerard Pique said . “We would be delighted if he decided to continue and he is doing a magnificent job. He brings calmness and he is producing results and showing that his way works.”
One of the two titles he won last season was the Copa del Rey, which was the 30th occasion that the Catalans lifted the title and was crowned by a magnificent 5-0 win over Sevilla at the Wanda Metropolitano.
Standing in their way of yet another quarter-final are Levante, a side whose best performance in this competition came way back in 1935 when they reached the semi-finals.
They are winless in their last four matches in all competitions, conceding 13 goals in the process, including a 5-0 defeat to Barca just nine days before Christmas.
At the very least, they will want to keep the tie competitive into the second leg, but recent history suggests they will have their work cut out.
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