Top-flight outfit Real Betis will travel to Estadio El Alcoraz for Saturday's Copa del Rey clash against second-tier Huesca.
The hosts have avoided defeat in each of their last seven matches, while Betis will carry a six-game unbeaten run into the round-of-32 clash.
Match preview
© Imago
Huesca are competing in the third round for the second season in a row after getting the better of lower-league opposition in their first two Copa del Rey matches.
They began their cup campaign with a 1-0 victory over fourth-tier Badalona Futur, before they recorded a narrow 1-0 win against third-tier Gimnastic Tarragona in the second round.
Huesca is now looking forward to their first meeting with Betis since May 2021, with the hosts looking to claim their first head-to-head win since recording a 2-1 La Liga victory in January 2019.
While they may be the underdogs, Huesca will carry significant momentum into Saturday's cup tie, having won five and drawn two of their last seven competitive matches since they lost to Eldense on November 20.
However, Antonio Hidalgo's side would have been frustrated to concede a late equaliser in their most recent game against Levante, even though they still managed to finish 2024 in the playoff positions.
After wrapping up 2024 with an away game, Huesca will begin the new year in the familiar surroundings of El Alcoraz, where they have lost just once in their 10 home matches this season (W5, D4).
© Imago
Betis have successfully avoided any potential upsets in their first two Copa del Rey matches, cruising to a 6-1 win over Gevora before claiming a 3-1 victory against Sant Andreu.
The second-round victory kick-started a six-game unbeaten run which has also been made up of three La Liga games and two Conference League matches.
Los Verdiblancos played out a 2-2 draw against Barcelona, before they recorded Conference League wins over Petrocub and HJK, either side of a 2-1 away league win over Villarreal.
Betis had to settle for a 1-1 draw in their final outing of 2024, with Rayo Vallecano's Isi Palazon netting a 51st-minute equaliser to cancel out Isco's first-half penalty, leaving Los Verdiblancos in ninth place in the league table.
Manuel Pellegrini's side will now be fully focused on the Copa del Rey as they look to avoid a second straight third-round exit after losing 1-0 to Alaves at this stage of last season's competition.
The three-time Copa del Rey winners can take confidence from the fact that they have won each of their previous three games against Huesca, including a 2-0 victory on their recent trip to El Alcoraz in January 2021.
Team News
© Imago
The hosts are expected to be without midfielder Javi Perez and winger Hugo Vallejo due to shoulder and knee injuries respectively.
Defender Miguel Loureiro is set to return to the backline after serving a one-match ban for an accumulation of yellow cards.
Patrick Soko will be looking to continue his rich vein of form, having scored in each of Huesca's last four competitive matches.
As for the visitors, they will have to cope without the services of Hector Bellerin, Nobel Mendy, Marc Roca and William Carvalho.
Rui Silva, Marc Bartra and Pablo Fornals are unlikely to recover from their respective injuries in time for Saturday's cup fixture.
Assane Diao could also miss the trip to Huesca, with the attacker said to be closing in on a move to Italian side Como.
Huesca possible starting lineup:
Jimenez; Loureiro, Blasco, Pulido; Abad, Hernandez, Sielva, Kortajarena, Vilarasa; Enrich, Soko
Real Betis possible starting lineup:
Vieites; Ruibal, Bartra, Natan, Rodriguez; Altimira, Cardoso; Isco, Lo Celso, Ezzalzouli; Roque
We say: Huesca 2-2 Real Betis
Huesca may be the underdogs for the Copa del Rey clash, but we think that they have the potential to spring a surprise, especially as they have lost just one of their 10 competitive home games this season.
We think that the Segunda Division side could take Betis to extra time, and potentially penalties, with the hosts making full use of home advantage to eliminate their top-tier opponents.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
