Valencia will travel to take on Cartagena on Sunday with a Copa del Rey round-of-16 place on the line.
The two sides have each progressed through two rounds to reach this stage, with the second-tier hosts scraping through in penalty shootouts and their visitors getting past UD Logrones and Arosa.
Match preview
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Cartagena return to Copa del Rey action on Sunday aiming to progress past the round of 32 for the first time in their history, having bowed out at this stage against top-flight opposition in the previous two seasons, the first of which was against their upcoming opponents as Valencia prevailed in a 2-1 win at the Estadio Cartagonova to progress in early 2022 thanks to goals from Carlos Soler and Denis Cheryshev.
It was Villarreal who ended La Cebra's run last year, and they have again managed to navigate through the first and second rounds of the 2023-24 campaign, firstly travelling to fifth-tier Azuaga and scraping through by winning a penalty shootout after the match ended in a goalless stalemate.
A tougher trip to fellow second-tier side Alcorcon then followed in early December, and Julia Calero's side played out another 0-0 draw before again coming out on top in the shootout to book their place in the final 32.
On the back of that triumph and a 2-1 league win away at Elche last month, La Cebra now return to action for the first time in the new year on the back of consecutive 3-0 beatings to drop to the foot of the Segunda Division, having most recently been seen off away at Huesca with all three of the hosts' goals coming before the interval.
Now keen to put that disappointment behind them and start 2024 on the front foot, Cartagena will set out to pull off a major upset on home turf and avenge their 2022 defeat to the top-flight visitors to progress before turning their focus back to their survival bid.
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Their visitors, meanwhile, will set out to again progress through the round of 32 in this year's Copa del Rey, having enjoyed success in the domestic cup in recent seasons, having reached the final twice in the last five attempts, lifting the trophy in in 2019 and finishing as runners-up in the 2021-22 edition.
That run saw them beat Cartagena away from home two years ago, and after a quarter-final exit last time around, Los Che again advanced through the first two rounds this season, firstly winning 2-0 away at fourth-tier UD Logronez thanks to goals from Pablo Gozalbez and Diego Lopez before travelling to fifth-tier Arosa for the second round last month.
Roman Yaremchuk put Ruben Baraja's side 1-0 up early on in that game, and while they were unable to extend their lead any further against the minnows, Los Che did stand strong to see out the 1-0 victory and advance to the final 32.
Now also on the back of a break over the festive period, Valencia will return to action in high spirits having put themselves ninth in La Liga with a positive run of results in December, firstly holding Barcelona to a 1-1 draw before picking up 1-0 and 3-1 wins over Rayo Vallecano and Villarreal respectively, with Yaremchuk again scoring early in the latter before Pepelu added a brace.
Los Ches now head into the weekend with the aim of putting up another Copa del Rey victory, with a round-of-16 place on the line in what is a tougher trip to second-tier opposition.
Team News
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In an attempt to keep the cup tie tight, Cartagena should line up in a similar cautious shape to how they did against Huesca last time out, despite suffering a 3-0 defeat, with Jose Fontan, Gonzalo and Pedro Alcala again set to form a back three.
Further forward, Luis Munoz is a mainstay in midfield and will continue to play a key role, while top scorer Alfredo Ortuno, who has managed five goals and three assists in 19 second-tier appearances so far this term, will hope to return to contention in time to lead the line on Sunday alongside Lautaro de Leon.
Having enjoyed a now enjoyed a rest and with their sights set on the round of 16, Valencia may opt to travel with a full-strength starting XI on Sunday, despite rotating for their first two Copa del Rey ties this term, with Mouctar Diakhaby and Thierry Correia returning to boost their ranks further after missing the win over Villarreal through suspensions.
Roman Yaremchuk netted their only goal away at Arosa in the second round, and he should again feature up front in a 4-4-2 shape alongside Hugo Duro, who leads the squad's scoring charts with seven goals in 19 La Liga appearances this season.
They should have further support from Sergi Canos and Fran Perez on the wings, while Pepelu will look to add more goals to his record after netting the brace in their 3-1 win last time out from a central midfield role alongside Hugo Guillamon.
Cartagena possible starting lineup:
Martinez; Alcala, Gonzalo, Fontan; Sabater, Munoz, Musto, Alarcon, Izqueirdo; De Leon, Ortuno
Valencia possible starting lineup:
Mamardashvili; Correia, Mosquera, Diakhaby, Gaya; Perez, Guillamon, Pepelu, Canos; Duro, Yaremchuk
We say: Cartagena 0-3 Valencia
While Cartagena have stood strong in their first two cup outings, their second-tier form is a cause for concern, while their attacking record leaves a lot to be desired.
Returning to action with momentum in the camp, Valencia should have more than enough to outclass their visitors and cruise through to the final 16 in relatively comfortable fashion.
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