ET on ESPN+ in the U. ). After needing extra time to edge out third-division side Intercity 4-3 in the last round, Barca were handed a trip to Spain's tiny territory of Ceuta, which borders Morocco on the northern coast of Africa. "It's a beautiful city, lodged between the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, with four cultures that live in harmony, " former Barca and Tottenham Hotspur midfielder and Ceuta-born Mohamed Ali Amar, better known as Nayim, told ESPN. Ceuta, with a population of around 85, 000 people and an area of just 7 square miles, has been in Spain's possession since 1580.
There are youngsters now at Madrid and Villarreal. It's a place that loves football. "That love has not translated into results this season for the football club, which was founded in 1956 and has been part of the Spanish league system ever since. Ceuta sit bottom of Group 1 of the Primera RFEF -- one of two regionalised third-tier leagues -- with just two wins all season. Perhaps that is to be expected, though, when their division also features teams from as far away as Galicia, including fallen giants Deportivo La Coruna, who are a 12-hour drive away from Ceuta once you get to the Spanish mainland. Barcelona is 13 hours away, although Xavi Hernandez's side won't be taking the bus. They plan to fly to Malaga, on Spain's south coast, before taking helicopters over the Mediterranean and into Ceuta, which is a common way for visitors and residents to make the crossing.
They are passionate football people. "And Ceuta is absolutely a football-crazy city. Some great players have come from there: Migueli who played for Barca [from 1973-88], Pirri spent many years at Real Madrid [1964-80] and is a legend there, Jose Bravo, the Lesmes brothers [Francisco and Rafael, the latter of whom won five European Cups with Real Madrid from 1955-60]. "So many players have played in the city. So many kids play football there. There are more and more scouts from the big [Spanish] clubs there because the structure is better and better all the time.
The hosts last drew 2-2 with the Blancos' Castilla side but currently sit at the bottom of Group 1 of the Spanish third division league. GOAL brings you details on how to watch the game on TV in the U. S., UK and India as well as how to stream it live online. Ceuta vs Barcelona date & kick-off timeGame:Ceuta vs BarcelonaDate:January 19, 2023Kick-off:1:30pm ET, 7pm GMT, 12:30 am IST (Jan 20)Venue:Alfonso Murube Stadium, CeutaHow to watch Ceuta vs Barcelona on TV & live stream onlineThis page contains affiliate links.
N/AESPN+UKN/AN/AIndiaN/AN/ACheck out GOAL's Football on UK TV guideCheck out GOAL's Soccer on U. TV guideCeuta team news & squadThe only change Ceuta manager Juan Romero may want to adopt from the RM Castilla draw is a bit more cover at the back to prevent the Blaugrana from having a free hand. Rodri Rios is a booking away from suspension in case of a quarter-final clash for Ceuta, but should start in attack, while Liberto Beltran has left the club to join Alcoyano. Ceuta possible XI: Montagud; A. Garcia, Lafarge, Gutierrez, Macias; Reina, Lopez; L. Gonzalez, Cuevas, Redondo; Rios PositionPlayersGoalkeepersMontagud, Romero, CortesDefendersBarreda, Gallego, Carrasco, Gutierrez, A.
When you subscribe through the links provided, we may earn a commission. In the United States (U. S. ), the game can be watched live on ESPN+. The Copa del Rey game between Ceuta and Barcelona is not selected for broadcast in the United Kingdom (UK), but fans can follow the updates via Barca's match center. The game will neither be televised nor streamed in India, too. CountryTV channelLive streamU.
It should be more comfortable journey than the team representing Melilla, another Spanish enclave in north Africa, had to take to get to Madrid in 2018. Melilla had to take a ferry, a bus and an airplane as part of an 11-hour journey through the night to the capital to face Real Madrid. They travelled having already lost the first leg at home 4-0, and a 6-1 defeat at the Bernabeu was their reward for the gruelling trip.
"Large swathes of the population have Moroccan roots from bygone generations, including Nayim. The city is closer to Tangier and Rabat than Madrid and Barcelona, which led to an interesting emotional tug-of-war when Morocco met at the World Cup in Qatar and stunned the world by winning the round-of-16 tie on penalties. "I wasn't in the city for the game, but it evoked a lot of passion, " added Nayim, who famously scored a stunning 119th-minute winner for Real Zaragoza against Arsenal in the 1995 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup final by lobbing goalkeeper David Seaman from 40 yards. "[Morocco] proved they are not a small team and they got what they deserved. It was incredible how that [semifinal] run was experienced in Ceuta, but also across Morocco and in Spain, where there is a huge Moroccan population.