C.D. Leganés play against a visitng Real Sociedad this Wednesday at 16:00 in the Estadio Municipal Butarque in the Round of 16 of the Copa del Rey. The pepineros are aiming to beat the travelling donostiarras to advance further in the competition, with a festive Butarque as the cup tie's background.
Copa del Rey football is back at the Butarque after a three year hiatus from the Blanquiazul home ground. On the 16th January 2019, Mauricio Pellegrino's Leganés side hosted Real Madrid in the return fixture of the quarter-finals, winning 1-0, but unable to protect their cup dreams from being dashed after suffering a 3-0 defeat to los blancos at home. Almost three years on, the knockout tournament is back in south Madrid.
Lega are no strangers to elimination football however, having reached the Round of 16 last season against Sevilla F.C., with the game held in Atletico's Wanda Metropolitano. Now, after defeating both Xerez Deportivo F.C. (1-2) and Cultural Leonesa (2-3), they face the next round without the aid of Fede Vico, Bruno or Rodri Tarín, as well as Omeruo, whose national duties for Nigeria for the African Cup of Nations indispose him for club commitments.
Real Sociedad, the cup's penultimate champions
For Real Sociedad, the objective is as simple as advancing further through the rounds to replicate their 2020 victory over Athletic Club in the final, which was postponed to last season due to the pandemic. The donostiarras, among them ex-pepineros Zaldua and Diego Rico, will have to measure themselves against a Leganés club that has already beaten them twice in their LaLiga Santanders adventures.
Focused on Wednesday's fixture, txuri-urdin manager, Imanol Alguacil, will be glad to be able to count on Mikel Oyarzabal, who was absent in their last league match in Mendizorroza due to sanction. The donostiarras are now six weeks without a victory in LaLiga, all in spite of their strong cup form so far: Panadería Pulido (0-4) and Zamora C.F. (0-3) were their previous opponents.
The match will be officiated by Valencian referree, Sr. D. Antonio Miguel Mateu Lahoz.
