Spain's Copa del Rey kicks off with few surprises on cards in first round

Madrid, Oct 27 (IANS) The first round of Spain's Copa del Rey knockout competition kicks off this week with matches held on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

Although the first and second rounds of the Copa don't include Real Madrid, FC Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and Athletic Club, who will play in the Spanish Super Cup in January, they do provide plenty of excitement as the competition format places the team from the lower division at home, reports Xinhua.

That means La Liga clubs will play the first two rounds away from home, increasing the likelihood of an upset and offering lower-division fans the chance to see top-flight teams on grounds that seldom meet first-division standards.

Coaches from La Liga teams can view the Copa in two ways. Some see it as the chance to give minutes to players who haven't been regular starters so far this season, while others, particularly those near the bottom of the table, can see it as an irritation they could do without.

Oviedo coach Luis Carrion will view his side's Copa visit to Ourense as a potential banana skin, with the third-tier club able to cause problems to the team that currently sits second from bottom of La Liga, and the key factor will be how strong both side's starting 11's are, or if the coaches decide to rotate and use squad players.

La Liga's bottom side Girona travels to Mallorca to face fifth-tier Constancia in what should be a comfortable game for Michel Sanchez's side, who are showing signs of recovery in La Liga.

Getafe should have few problems against amateurs Inter de Valdemoro, who play in the sixth tier of the Spanish game, while UD Maracena - another amateur team - awaits Valencia.

Fifth-tier Toledo awaits Sevilla in the Salto de Caballo Stadium, with home fans no doubt recalling the club's glory days in the second division, while Real Sociedad travels to Galicia to face the amateurs of CD Negreira, whose players can expect a night to remember, but almost certainly not a win.

--IANS

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