Madrid hope to dethrone holders

The Copa del Rey reaches the quarter-final stage this week with most of the Primera División's top teams left in the running.

European contenders
Helped by the Spanish Football Federation's new rule exempting European competitors until the later rounds of the domestic knockout competition, most of the current title hopefuls are still involved in the cup. Two of those continental contenders, Real Betis Balompié and Real Madrid CF, meet in Seville in one of tonight's three matches.

Holders welcome Madrid
Betis are defending the trophy they claimed last year, while Madrid are striving to win it for the first time since 1993, and end a three-season drought for any silverware. The home side are without Marcos Assunçao due to a thigh injury, but their inspirational winger Joaquín Sánchez has recovered from muscle problems in time to meet the capital club in this first-leg tie.

Cádiz run
Cádiz CF knocked out Betis's local rivals Sevilla FC in the last round to reach the quarter-finals for the first time since 1990 and, fresh from easing their relegation worries by defeating Málaga CF, welcome RCD Espanyol. The visitors are pinning their hopes on Raúl Tamudo, who claimed his 100th competitive goal for the club at the weekend, and new signing Walter Pandiani.

Atlético trail
Wednesday's other fixture is a fifth-round encounter in which Real Zaragoza hold a 1-0 lead ahead of the home leg against Club Atlético de Madrid, with the winners to face FC Barcelona in the last eight. Last week's first-leg defeat - a match postponed for seven days due to a stomach bug that affected 14 players at the Madrid side - cost Atlético coach Carlos Bianchi his job. Caretaker Pepe Murcia will hope for an improvement on his first match in charge on Saturday, a 1-0 loss at Betis.

Depleted Valencia
On Thursday, RC Deportivo La Coruña welcome Valencia CF in the outstanding quarter-final. The home side fell to a shock 2-0 home league defeat by Deportivo Alavés last weekend, and will be without Enrique Romero due to a damaged knee tendon. However, Valencia are also depleted, with Roberto Ayala still suffering from a knee problem, Pablo Aimar and Rubén Baraja both out and Vicente Rodríguez now sidelined with an ankle ligament injury.