The cup
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Football: Surprises Unlikely As Copa Del Rey Kicks Off In Spain
Campo Municipal Rafael Vazquez Sedano: The first-round matches of Spain's Copa del Rey will be played over the coming days, although surprises are likely to be few and far between. The format of the tournament means that the four sides that will compete in the Spanish Super Cup in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia in January don't have to play the first two rounds.
That means that holders Athletic Bilbao, along with beaten finalists Mallorca, La Liga winners Real Madrid and runners-up FC Barcelona don't have to play in the Copa before the New Year. However, every other top-flight side is in action in a format that sees the teams from the higher division forced to play away from home.
Although that can complicate things for bigger clubs in the following stages of the tournament, it shouldn't be an issue in the first round, given that 10 of the rivals for the 16 top-flight sides kicking off their cup campaigns are semi-professional teams from the sixth tier of the Spanish game, and lack both the technique and the fitness of their professional rivals, reports Xinhua.
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