Overview
Guadalajara have won two games against Cacereno and Ceuta to secure a place in the Copa del Rey round. And the reward for them is the confrontation with defending champion Barcelona.
Coach Pere Marti's team entered this match after a 1-3 defeat to Real Madrid B, the result of which caused them to fall to 17th place in the domestic rankings. After 16 rounds, Guadalajara has only won 17 points, reflecting a difficult season up to now.
Just 3 seasons ago, in the 2021-2022 season, Guadalajara also competed in the Spanish fifth division. However, this team has gradually improved and is currently in the third division, after qualifying for promotion from the fourth division in the 2024-2025 season.
In fact, this is the first time Guadalajara has reached the third round of Copa del Rey. If they can beat Barcelona to qualify for the round of 16, it will be one of the most shocking victories in the club's history.
However, Barcelona will not make any changes in their upcoming away trip, as the Catalan team aims to go further in the Copa del Rey. The fact that this tournament has been Barcelona's forte for many years is undeniable, as they have lifted the championship trophy 32 times - the most in history.
Hansi Flick's side are also the defending champions, having won against Real Madrid in the final last season. Barcelona entered this match in very good form, winning 7 out of the last 8 matches in all competitions, including a 2-0 victory over Osasuna in La Liga last weekend.
Currently, Barcelona is leading the La Liga rankings, 4 points ahead of second-placed Real Madrid. The Catalan team aims to end 2025 with 2 consecutive victories against Guadalajara and Villarreal.
Entering 2026, Barcelona promises to continue to be a strong candidate for the second consecutive La Liga championship, and is still highly appreciated in the Champions League for its superior quality in attack.
Personnel situation
Guadalajara did not record any further injuries or suspensions before this match. Therefore, the home team will take the field with the strongest force to welcome Barcelona.
Up front, Pablo Munoz is expected to be a notable name in the starting lineup. The 22-year-old striker has scored 3 goals and had 2 assists since the beginning of the season. Alejandro Canizo is also likely to feature in the top flight, while experienced midfielder Pablo Rojo is expected to play a pivotal role in midfield.
On Barcelona's side, Ronald Araujo (individual reasons), Gavi (knee injury) and Dani Olmo ( shoulder injury) continue to be absent. However, goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny has fully recovered from his illness and is ready to return to play, after missing the match against Osasuna.
Szczesny is likely to be chosen by Hansi Flick to start instead of Marc-Andre ter Stegen. The German tactician is also considering making some personnel adjustments for the Copa del Rey match.
Andreas Christensen, Jofre Torrents, Marc Casado, Marc Bernal, Roony Bardghji and dro Fernandez could all be given the opportunity to start. Meanwhile, Robert Lewandowski - who was not used in the most recent match - is also likely to return to the starting lineup as a center forward.
Expected lineup:
Guadalajara: Vicente, Mayo, Ablanque, Rodriguez, Casado, Rojo, Calvo, Diaz, Ramirez, Munoz, Canizo.
Barcelona: Szczesny, E. Garcia, Cubarsi, Christensen, Jofre, Casado, Bernal, Bardghji, Fermin, dro, Lewandowski.
The match between Guadalajara and Barcelona takes place at 3:00 am on December 17 (Vietnam time).
