Six-time Spanish champions Valencia will be bidding to avoid an upset against third-tier outfit Ourense CF when they take to the field in the last-16 stage of the 2024-25 Copa del Rey on Tuesday night.
Los Che are eight-time winners of the Copa del Rey, with their last success in the competition coming back in 2019, while Ourense are looking to reach the quarter-finals of the tournament for the first time in their history.
Match preview
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Ourense beat Guijuelo in the first round of this season's Copa del Rey before claiming two excellent results in the rounds that followed, overcoming Deportivo La Coruna 1-0 and Real Valladolid 3-2 to book a surprise spot in the round of 16.
Pablo Lopez's side operate in Spain's third tier, with the team currently 15th in their domestic table, picking up 21 points from 19 matches, and they will enter this match off the back of a 2-1 victory over Lugo on home soil.
Ourense have already claimed one La Liga scalp in this season's Copa del Rey and are now looking for another in order to book their spot in the final eight of Spain's biggest cup competition for the first time in their history.
The home side are the huge underdogs entering this match, but they have only been beaten in one of their last nine matches in all competitions, winning six times in the process, and Lopez's team will be facing a Valencia outfit that have struggled this term.
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Valencia were in La Liga action on Saturday night, playing out a 1-1 draw with Sevilla; Luis Rioja sent the visitors ahead at Estadio Ramon, only for Adria Pedrosa to come up with a 93rd-minute leveller.
Carlos Corberan's side are currently rock bottom of the La Liga table, having only picked up 13 points from their opening 19 matches of the campaign, which has left them three points behind 17th-placed Getafe.
Valencia have only won twice in the league all season, and the team are facing the prospect of being relegated to the Segunda Division for the first time since the 1986-87 campaign, which would be disastrous for a club of their ilk.
Los Che are eight-time winners of the Copa del Rey, with their last success in the competition coming in 2019, and they have beaten Parla Escuela, Ejea and Eldense to reach this round of the 2024-25 competition.
Valencia, despite their struggles this term, have only lost one of their last five matches in all competitions, which proved to be a narrow home defeat to 10-man Real Madrid at Mestalla in their opening match of 2025.
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Team News
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Ourense head coach Lopez could name the same side that took to the field for the first whistle against Real Valladolid in the last round of the competition, including a spot down the left for Angel Sanchez.
Gonzalo Di Renzo has only scored once in 21 appearances for Ourense this season, but the 29-year-old is expected to continue in the final third of the field, with those who impressed against Real Valladolid set to be rewarded.
As for Valencia, Mouctar Diakhaby, Fran Perez, Rafa Mir and Thierry Correia will miss the contest due to injury problems.
Head coach Corberan is set to name a strong side, including a spot at centre-forward for Hugo Duro, while Diego Lopez and Sergi Canos are expected to operate in the wide positions for the visitors.
There is currently speculation surrounding the future of Hugo Guillamon, but the Spaniard should be given a start in midfield, while Pepelu is in line for a spot in the middle.
Corberan will have to assess the fitness of those who were involved against Sevilla, but Los Che have not reported any fresh concerns from their 1-1 draw at Estadio Ramon.
Ourense CF possible starting lineup:
Guillen; Prado, Rodriguez, Zalaya, Prada; Ramos, Fidalgo; Gil, Noriega, Sanchez: Di Renzo
Valencia possible starting lineup:
Dimitrievski; Foulquier, Tarrega, Mosquera, Vazquez; Guillamon, Pepelu; D Lopez, Guerra, Canos; Duro
We say: Ourense CF 1-2 Valencia
Ourense have already claimed some big results in this season's competition, and they will be coming up against a Valencia side that are having a difficult campaign; we are expecting it to be close in terms of the scoreline, but Los Che should have enough quality to navigate their spot in the quarter-finals of the competition.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Matt Law
