The Copa del Rey begins on Tuesday 27 October with 18 first-round matches, and 11 of them will be shown on television while seven will not. It is a round that spreads across village grounds and smaller stadiums, with Cuarte opening against Girona at 18:30 at the Estadio Municipal Juan Guerrero "El Lobo".
Broadcast split and opening-night fixtures
The round starts in modest surroundings and stays that way through the evening. Pinatar host Elche at 19:00, Don Benito meet the refounded CD Extremadura in an Extremadura derby at 20:30, and [Sporting de Alcázar] at 21:00 host Málaga.
UD Llanera's home tie with Ponferradina at the Hermanos Antuña at 20:00 adds another layer of the same theme, with the lower-league side playing away from its own ground. The evening also includes the tie with the most history, Rayo Vallecano's visit to Recreativo at the Nuevo Colombino at 21:00, broadcast by Movistar Plus+.
Rayo's trip to Recreativo
That match stands out because of the names involved and the tone around it. Rayo arrive 16th in La Liga with 9 points from 9 league matches, and their league run has gone LDDW. Recreativo, described as the doyen of Spanish football, hosts them in Primera Federación.
The cup has room for both the hidden ties and the televised ones, and this first round starts with both. Cuarte against Girona opens the competition at 18:30 on Tuesday, then the round rolls on through Pinatar, Don Benito and the rest of the country before Rayo's 21:00 trip to Huelva.
Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →
