Alberto González's Albacete Balompié host Barcelona at the Carlos Belmonte Stadium on Tuesday evening for a Copa del Rey quarter-final that carries a fairytale narrative. The second-division hosts, currently 12th in LaLiga2 with 30 points from 23 matches, stunned Real Madrid 3-2 in the previous round to earn this showdown with the defending champions. Hansi Flick's Barcelona arrive as overwhelming favorites, sitting atop La Liga with 55 points from 22 games and fresh off a domestic double last season.
Albacete enter on a wave of momentum, unbeaten in their last four matches. The giant-killing win over Real Madrid followed league victories against Cádiz (1-0) and Real Valladolid (1-0), sandwiching a draw with Real Zaragoza. Agustín Medina and Antonio Puertas lead the attack with 7 goals each this campaign. Edward Cedeño remains sidelined following surgery, while Higinio Marín is a doubt with a thigh problem.
Barcelona's recent form shows 18 wins from 22 La Liga matches, though cracks are appearing. A 2-1 loss at Real Sociedad interrupted their title charge before a 3-1 victory at Elche restored confidence. The champions miss Pedri (hamstring) and Gavi (meniscus), with Andreas Christensen out until late April. Lamine Yamal continues to flourish in Flick's high-pressing system, stretching defenses alongside Raphinha.
Barcelona has historically dominated this fixture, winning 9 of 14 meetings and losing just once. Their last encounter came in La Liga during the 2004-05 season, making this cup clash their first meeting in over two decades. Albacete beat Real Madrid at this venue in the previous round, proving the Carlos Belmonte can be a hostile setting.
I'm backing Both Teams to Score at 1.80. Albacete have scored in 4 of their last 5 home matches, while Barcelona's defense has conceded in 3 of their last 5 away fixtures. The hosts' cup form shows attacking intent—they netted 3 against Real Madrid and scored in both previous Copa del Rey rounds. The xG projection (0.96–2.14) supports a 1-2 finish.