Today the Copa del Rey returns to action with the first round of First Division teams, after the suspension of matches due to the tragic train accident in Toledo. Six top-flight clubs – Athletic, Sevilla, Osasuna, Getafe, Deportivo and Racing de Santander – appear in their opening matches, while nine ties that had been postponed the previous day resume in the afternoon.
On October 22, the competition resumed with the intention of paying tribute to the victims of the accident and their families. The 24-hour break allowed the day to be restructured and pending matches to be included. Today's schedule combines originally scheduled matches with postponed ones, maintaining the integrity of the schedule and ensuring that teams can advance in the competition without missing a beat.
The first matches open at 7:00 p.m. with Osasuna visiting Atlético Calatayud and Getafe visiting UB Lebrijana. Both matches are played on foreign soil, which adds an element of unpredictability: the favorite must confirm its superiority, while the visitor seeks to take advantage of neutrality to equalize forces. At 9:00 p.m., Athletic faces Prat at the San Mamés Stadium, and Sevilla visits Sporting de Hortaleza. The two teams, with an outstanding history in the Cup, seek to overcome the first crossing without leaving room for doubt.
In the same time slot, Deportivo visits Auriense and Racing de Santander travels to Ribadesella, offering First Division teams the opportunity to demonstrate their quality against lower-class rivals. The visitors have the task of securing qualification, while the hosts seek to take advantage of the home advantage to prolong the conversation in the competition.
In addition to the six top category matches, the day includes nine second and third division matches that were pending. La Peña Sport hosts Huesca and Numancia host Oviedo at 6:00 p.m., followed by Poblense-Ceuta and Coruxo-Zamora at 7:00 p.m. Cieza-Granada starts at 7:30 p.m., while Covadonga-Valladolid and Mijas-Las Lagunas-Real Jaén are played at 8:00 p.m. The Gimnástica de Torrelavega-UD Ourense and the Xerez-Cádiz are played at 8:30 p.m. and 9:00 p.m., respectively. The remaining matches that could not be held will be postponed until November.
With the Cup resumed, the teams must focus on overcoming the present to advance in the competition. Today's matchday represents a new beginning after the interruption, and the First Division clubs are ready to demonstrate their quality on the national stage.