FC Barcelona will kick off their Copa del Rey campaign with a trip to the Madrid suburbs to take on Guadalajara on Tuesday.
The Blaugrana sit top in La Liga with a four-point cushion over 
Real Madrid after beating Osasuna 2-0 at the Spotify Camp Nou on Saturday, thanks to a pair of second-half strikes by Raphinha.
Barca have rattled off five wins in a row in all competitions, bouncing back from a disappointing 3-0 loss to Chelsea in late November. That stretch has included wins over Atletico Madrid, Real Betis in league play, and Eintracht Frankfurt in the UEFA Champions League.
The Catalans are looking to defend their Copa del Rey crown after defeating Real Madrid in the final last spring, thanks to a long-range strike from Jules Koundé in extra time.
Guadalajara are currently 17th in Primera Federacion – Grupo 1— the third tier of Spanish football — with four wins, five draws and seven losses through 16 games. The Morados earned promotion to the Primera Federacion after becoming champions of the Segunda Federacion last season, finishing their campaign with 74 points from 34 matches.
Guadalajara defeated CP Cacereño and AD Ceuta in the first two rounds of the competition to book their tie with Barcelona. The two sides have never met before in official competition.
FC Barcelona vs Guadalajara Betting Odds
- FC Barcelona to win: -1100
- Draw: +850
- Guadalajara to win: +2200
- Both teams to score (Yes/No): +128 / -164
- Over/Under 3.5 goals: -130 / +106
Odds courtesy of FanDuel.
Where to Watch FC Barcelona vs Guadalajara
- When: Tuesday, December 16th – 3PM ET / 12PM PT
- Where: Estadio Pedro Escartin, Guadalajara
- Where to watch in the United States: ESPN+
FC Barcelona Team News, Predicted Lineup
Expect heavy rotation from Hansi Flick in Barcelona’s league cup opener on Tuesday, as the German boss looks to rest some of his key players during a loaded portion of their schedule.
Wojciech Szczesny should return to the net with Joan Garcia getting a rest and Marc-André Ter Stegen still on the outside looking in. Youngster Jofre Torrents is in line for a start at left back, while Andreas Christensen is also slated to start after coming off the bench in recent weeks.
Pedri will surely be rested for the midweek clash, giving both Marc Casado and Marc Bernal rare starts in the heart of midfield. And young attacking trio of Roony Bardghji, Fermin Lopez and Dro Fernandez could be complimented by veteran striker Robert Lewandowski, who has seemingly lost the starting striker job to Ferran Torres.
FC Barcelona predicted lineup (4-2-3-1): Wojciech Szczesny (GK) – Eric Garcia, Pau Cubarsi, Andreas Christensen, Jofre Torrents – Marc Casado, Marc Bernal – Roony Bardghji, Fermin Lopez, Dro Fernandez – Robert Lewandowski.
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