Overview
- Kickoff is 3 p.m. ET at Estadio Carlos Belmonte, with streaming available on ESPN+.
- Arbeloa is expected to rotate his squad for the round-of-16 tie, with Andriy Lunin likely to start and fringe players set for minutes.
- Kylian Mbappé has recently returned from a knee issue but may not start due to the congested schedule.
- Club expectations remain uncompromising, with the Copa del Rey presented as Madrid’s most attainable route to silverware this season.
- The appointment follows Xabi Alonso’s exit after the Supercopa final loss to Barcelona, highlighting Florentino Pérez’s decisive control as Madrid juggle LaLiga on Saturday and Monaco in the Champions League on Jan. 20.