Cuatro Rayas BM Valladolid the opponents in the Copa del Rey Round of 16

The Copa del Rey Round of 16 draw was held this Tuesday. The competition is introducing a new format, featuring the 16 teams from the Asobal league.

The first knockout tie, played as a single match at the ground of the lower-ranked of the two teams in the previous season, brings Cuatro Rayas Balonmano Valladolid to us on 5 December. Pastor’s men, who began the competition with three defeats following the major overhaul of the squad, will surely be a formidable opponent by December, once Pastor has got the machine running smoothly. That said, it is a single match, and with the Ovni fortress behind us, we are allowed to dream of reaching the quarter-finals.

BM Puerto Sagunto have never played in the Copa under the name Copa del Rey, although they were regulars in the Copa del Generalísimo, its previous name. Their most recent participation dates back to the 1975–76 season, when BM Puerto were in the Primera División (the second tier at the time), facing Anaitasuna, then a División de Honor side. We lost 20–21 in the Ovni in a closely fought match, while in Pamplona the Navarrese side prevailed 21–13.

Our best performance dates back to the 1968–69 season, when a play-off against Eguia of San Sebastián, held at Madrid’s Palacio de los Deportes, ended 20–15 to the Basque side and denied us a place in the final against FC Barcelona.

The remaining Copa del Rey Round of 16 ties are:

Helvetia Anaitasuna - FC Barcelona Intersport ARS Palma del Rio - BM Aragon Academia Octavio - BM Atlético de Madrid BM Huesca - Fraikin BM Granollers Quabit BM Guadalajara - Reale Ademar León BM Villa de Aranda - Naturhouse La Rioja BM Cangas - GlobalCaja Ciudad Encantada

Translation produced using artificial intelligence.