Possible opponents for Barcelona in Copa del Rey semis – everything you need to know | OneFootball

FC Barcelona passed another significant milestone in their journey of the 2025-26 season as they beat Albacete to secure a place in the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey. With this win, the Catalans have gotten another step closer to defending the cup title this season.

However, the Blaugranes still have two more barriers left to cross before they can once again lift the Copa trophy this season, i.e., the semi-final and the final.

Barça are the first team to seal qualification for the last four, with the quarterfinal stage still being completed across Wednesday and Thursday. As a result, there remains significant uncertainty over who the Catalans will face next, with the semi-final draw scheduled for Friday at the RFEF Football City.

The draw will be completely open, with no restrictions, and the semi-finals will be played over two legs. The first matches are set for February 10, 11, or 12, with the return legs taking place in the first week of March.

At this stage, there are six potential opponents for Barcelona, all from La Liga, although only three will remain by the time the draw is made. These are Deportivo Alaves, Real Sociedad, Valencia, Athletic Club, Real Betis, and Atletico Madrid.

Two quarterfinal ties will be played on Wednesday night. Deportivo Alaves host Real Sociedad in a fiercely contested Basque derby between two sides in good form. Meanwhile, Valencia welcome Athletic Club to Mestalla in a clash between two historic Copa specialists currently enduring difficult league campaigns.

The final quarterfinal will be played on Thursday night, when Betis face Atletico Madrid at La Cartuja, the stadium that will also host the Copa final on April 18.

In short, Barcelona know that whoever emerges will represent a serious challenge. With the draw open and the semi-finals spread across two legs, the road back to the final promises to be demanding and highly competitive for the defending champions.