Will the 13:00 draw on Monday see Athletic in the spotlight? The federation will group clubs by geographic proximity, pairing lower‑tier sides with higher‑tier ones whenever possible. Yesterday it released the full split and trimmed the lions’ potential opponents to just four.
A derby looms with Sestao River, fresh off a 5‑0 demolition of Terrassa that secured its Copa Federación semifinal spot. The other three clubs emerge from the preliminary round this weekend – Anaitasuna (5‑0 over Tedeón) and Prat (1‑5 loss to Sant Rafel) are likely still in, while Atlético Calatayud looks set after a 2‑0 win over Baztán. In my view, the draw looks stacked against Athletic.
Sestao River is guaranteed a Primera clash – if not Athletic, then Osasuna, Alavés or Espanyol. They aren’t the only Basque side in the mix; Barakaldo will debut in the knockout tournament against a Segunda RFEF team. Amorebieta and Portugalete have a slim chance of meeting a Segunda side (Girona, Eibar, Andorra or Sabadell), though a Primera RFEF opponent is more probable. Can Athletic navigate this tough path to the later stages?