Copa del Rey monarchs Barcelona begin their title defense in the round of 32 when they visit third-division side Guadalajara, marking the first ever meeting between the two Spanish clubs.
The Catalans enter the tournament as holders after defeating Real Madrid in a thrilling final last April. Last season’s triumph saw Barcelona pad their advantage as the most decorated club in Copa del Rey history.
Hansi Flick’s side kicks off its campaign fresh off clinching its seventh consecutive La Liga win to remain four points clear atop the division. Given the opponent and next weekend’s league visit to the impressive Villarreal, the German boss is expected to heavily rotate his side in Tuesday’s Copa del Rey clash.
Guadalajara are struggling in Spain’s Primera Division, currently sitting in the relegation zone. Still, this is a historic game for the club and they’ll be motivated to pull off the upset of all upsets.
Here is Sports Illustrated’s guide to the Copa del Rey clash.
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Guadalajara vs. Barcelona Head-to-Head Record
This is the first-ever meeting between Guadalajara and Barcelona.
Current Form (All Competitions)
Guadalajara Barcelona
Real Madrid Castilla 3–1 Guadalajara - 13/12/25 Barcelona 2–0 Osasuna - 13/12/25
Guadalajara 1–0 Osasuna B - 07/12/25 Barcelona 2–1 Eintracht Frankfurt - 09/12/25
Guadalajara 1–0 AD Ceuta FC - 02/12/25 Real Betis 3–5 Barcelona - 06/12/25
Pontevedra 1–1 Guadalajara - 29/11/25 Barcelona 3–1 Atlético Madrid - 02/12/25
Guadalajara 2–3 Athletic Club B - 22/11/25 Barcelona 3–1 Aláves - 29/11/25
Country TV/Live Stream
United States ESPN Select, fuboTV, ESPN App
United Kingdom Premier Sports 1, Premier Sports Player
Canada Not Televised
Mexico Sky Sports Mexico
Estamos preparados para defender ese 1%. pic.twitter.com/S4mpqXrMyy
— C.D. Guadalajara 🟣⚪️ (@deporguada) December 15, 2025
It’s arguably the biggest game in Guadalajara’s history, facing off against one of the biggest teams in Spain and Europe for the first time ever.
The modest third-division side has planned a massive welcome party to receive the team bus and give the players one last bit of encouragement before taking the pitch for this historic match.
The challenge may be intimidating, but in front of 6,000 rocking fans, Guadalajara will try to, in their own words, “defend that 1% probability with 99% faith.”
Guadalajara predicted lineup vs. Barcelona (4-3-3): Zarco; Martínez, Ablanque, Gallardo, Rodríguez; Calvo, Mayo, Tavares; Domingo, Amigo, Caropitche.
Marc-André ter Stegen
Marc-André ter Stegen will make his first appearance for Barcelona in over six months. / Lluis GENE/AFP/Getty Images
Expect wholesale changes to the lineup that defeated Osasuna at the weekend to maintain Barcelona’s advantage atop the standings.
Established stars such as Pedri, Raphinha, Lamine Yamal, Alejandro Balde and Joan García could all get a night off, with Pau Cubarsí and Eric García looking like two of potential candidates to repeat from last Saturday’s XI.
Flick could turn to a number of La Masia teenagers on Tuesday night, including Jofre Torrents, Marc Bernal and Dro Fernández, who have impressed the German in the past.
Finally, club captain Marc-André ter Stegen could make his season debut after recovering from a back injury. Plus, Robert Lewandowski could be deployed up front as another strong veteran presence in an otherwise vastly inexperienced side.
Barcelona lineup
Barcelona’s lineup for their 2025–26 Copa Del Rey debut. / FotMob
Barcelona Predicted Lineup vs. Guadalajara (4-2-3-1): Ter Stegen; García, Cubarsí, Christensen, Torrents; Bernal, Casado; Bardghji, Dro, López; Lewandowski.
Despite deploying far from their strongest lineup, Barcelona should cruise past Guadalajara without much trouble. There are still some high-caliber players bound to take the pitch and the gap in quality between the two sides is simply too significant.
Furthermore, a number of Barça players will be eager to impress to get more playing time in more significant matches once the calendar turns to 2026. It’s a vital opportunity for a number of them that they must pounce on.
Barcelona will dominate from start to finish to begin their Copa del Rey title defense by booking a place in the round of 16.
Prediction: Guadalajara 0–4 Barcelona
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