Copa Del Rey Draw 2016-17: Full Round of 16 Fixtures and Dates Released

Copa del Rey holders Barcelona were pitted against Athletic Club in Friday’s draw for the last 16 of the competition.

The Blaugrana will visit the San Mames for the first leg of the tie, while the Camp Nou will stage the second leg in a repeat of the 2015 final, which Barcelona won 3-1. Meanwhile, Real Madrid were handed a tough draw against Jorge Sampaoli’s high flying Sevilla team, with the first leg at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Elsewhere, Las Palmas will take on Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid, while Real Sociedad will tackle Villarreal in another eye-catching fixture.

The first leg of each tie will be played on Jan. 3-4, with the return fixtures the following week.

Athletic Club vs. Barcelona

These final between these two sides from 2015 is memorable for numerous reasons. Off the pitch, the Athletic supporters packed out the Camp Nou and conjured a tremendous atmosphere, while on it Lionel Messi producing a breathtaking goal to help Barcelona secure victory.

Here’s a reminder of the strike, which came at the end of a slaloming run from the right flank from the Argentina man:

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It was a classic display from a classic Barcelona team, as they went on to clinch a memorable treble in 2014-15. However, the last time these two sides met over two legs, it was Athletic who came out on top, winning the Spanish Super Cup by an impressive 5-1 margin in 2015.

The Basque side will fancy their chances of victory again. They’ve enjoyed a solid …

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