MADRID, Oct. 27 (Xinhua) -- Five La Liga teams will face lower-division opposition away from home on Wednesday as the first round of Spain's Copa del Rey continues.
Real Betis, Valencia, Celta Vigo, Alaves and Levante will all be on the road under competition rules that give lower-division clubs home advantage in the early rounds.
Betis travels to the Madrid region to face CDA Navalcarnero, which competes in the Segunda Federacion, Spain's fourth tier.
Betis coach Manuel Pellegrini is expected to make extensive changes to his starting lineup, although competition regulations require clubs to have at least seven registered first-team players on the field throughout the match.
Celta Vigo also faces fourth-tier opposition when it visits Salamanca UDS, coached by former Athletic Club captain Iker Muniain.
Muniain was part of the Athletic side that won the 2024 Copa del Rey, scoring in the penalty shootout against Mallorca as the Basque club ended a 40-year wait for the trophy.
The former Spain international will be hoping for a better result than Salamanca managed when the teams met in December 2024, when Celta cruised to a 7-0 away victory.
Levante visits fifth-tier CD Tarancon, while Alaves travels to the Basque town of Azkoitia to face CD Anaitasuna.
Valencia is also expected to progress when it visits CFUE Tavernes de la Valldigna, which competes in the regional leagues of the Valencian Community.
All five top-flight clubs will be seeking to avoid an early upset in a competition that has frequently provided lower-league sides with opportunities to test themselves against Spain's leading teams. ■
