Overview
- The quarterfinal pairings are Albacete vs Barcelona, Alavés vs Real Sociedad, Valencia vs Athletic, and Betis vs Atlético, with single-leg ties scheduled for February 3–5.
- Albacete earned home advantage as the lone Segunda side after eliminating Real Madrid and will face Barcelona in a first-ever Copa meeting between the clubs.
- Real Sociedad beat Barcelona 2-1 in LaLiga, ending Barcelona’s 11-match winning run and tightening the league picture.
- Real Madrid removed Xabi Alonso and installed Álvaro Arbeloa, who is set to lead the team against Monaco in the Champions League this week.
- Morocco’s federation said it will file complaints with CAF and FIFA over incidents during the AFCON final, and Brahim Díaz publicly apologized for his missed penalty.