Friday afternoon saw the draw for the quarter-finals of the Copa del Rey, with Barcelona having to head to San Mames.
The tie of the round will see a resurgent Athletic Club managed by Ernesto Valverde, formerly at Barcelona of course, look to heap further pressure on Xavi’s shoulders.
The Catalan giants aren’t playing well at present, with the Copa del Rey seen as their best route to silverware this season.
Real Madrid’s conquerors, Atletico, were paired with Sevilla in what will be expected to be another brilliant cup tie.
Girona, who are going so well in the Spanish top-flight this season and currently top the table by a point, earned their place in the draw thanks to a 3-1 win over Rayo Vallecano, and their reward was a trip to the island where Mallorca lie in wait.
The final tie sees another Basque giant, Real Sociedad, winners against Osasuna in the last round, head to Galicia where they’ll meet Rafael Benitez’s Celta Vigo, who made the quarter finals after a stunning 3-1 away win at Valencia.
All of the four ties offer up the possibility of a brilliant watch, and they will be played next midweek.
Full Copa del Rey 1/4 final draw
Athletic Club v FC Barcelona
Celta Vigo v Real Sociedad
Mallorca v Girona
Atletico Madrid v Sevilla