Barça to face Espanyol in the last 16 of the Copa del Rey

Barça and Espanyol will play three times in the first fortnight of 2016. / FCB PHOTOMONTAGE
The first leg will be at Camp Nou on 5 or 6 January, with the return leg at Power8 Stadium on 12 or 13 January

Friday’s draw for the last 16 of this year’s Copa del Rey has produced some interesting matchups. The event, which took place at the Madrid headquarters of the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), paired up FC Barcelona and cross-town rivals RCD Espanyol.

Although the exact dates have yet to be determined, the first leg will be at Camp Nou on 5 or 6 January, with the return leg at Power8 Stadium on 12 or 13 January.

The matchup adds two more Barcelona derbies to the one already on the calendar to ring in 2016. The two teams from the Catalan capital will face off in La Liga on 2 January. That game will be played at Power8 in Cornellà-El Prat, with kick off set for 4.00pm CET. The Copa del Rey first leg will then take place just a few days later in midweek, with the return leg the following week. The winner of the tie will gain a berth into the quarter-finals.

Here are the rest of the ties resulting from Friday’s draw:

Valencia CF v Granada CF

CD Mirandés v Deportivo de la Coruña

Cádiz CF v RC Celta de Vigo

Betis v Sevilla FC

Athletic Club v Villarreal CF

SD Eibar v UD Las Palmas

Rayo Vallecano v Atlético de Madrid