Espanyol to face Sestao River in Copa del Rey opener

Espanyol will face Sestao River in its opening match of the 2026-27 Copa del Rey. The draw paired the Catalan club with the side for its first opponent in the competition. The match will be played at Las Llanas, although the date has yet to be set. Tuesday the 27th is emerging as a possibility.

The away tie will come during a busy final week of October for Espanyol. It also brings the previous edition to mind: on December 4 of the previous year, the club was knocked out by Atlético Baleares after a 1-0 defeat on the opponent’s ground.

Sestao River compete in Group 1 of the Segunda Federación. They have collected 12 of the first 15 league points and secured their place in the cup by eliminating Terrassa 4-1 in the Copa Federación. The draw therefore gives Espanyol an away cup opener against a side that has already come through a qualifying round, at a time when the autumn schedule is crowded.