‘Barcelona won’t be on top form’ – Real Betis director licking his lips at Copa del Rey clash | OneFootball

The draw for the last 16 of the Copa del Rey was made on Wednesday afternoon, and with it came the news that Real Betis would be making the long trip up to Catalonia for a clash against Barcelona.

One member of Real Betis’ staff is feeling confident ahead of the tie, given that Barcelona will be just off the back of a trip to Saudi Arabia to play in the Super Cup, and could still be feeling fatigue from that come kick-off.

As per Diario AS, Betis’ technical director Álvaro Ladrón de Guevara said, “Barcelona are not at their highest level right now, they are coming from a demanding schedule and they have that Super Cup trip.”

Despite this, the Real Betis man also emphasised that they will approach the fixture with humility and all the respect demanded of such an opponent.

“It’s a very tough opponent, it’s clear that there were less tough teams than Barcelona, and more so on their home ground. We would have liked to have played at the Villamarín.“

The last 16 fixtures of the Copa del Rey are due to be played between the 14th and 16th of January, meaning that there is a very short turnaround from the final of the Spanish Super Cup, which will be played on the 12th.

GSFN | Ciaran Currie