Cartagena vs Valencia

Cartagena and Valencia go head-to-head in their Copa del Rey last-32 tie at the Estadio Municipal Cartagonova.

Segunda Division outfit Cartagena have gone past lower-league sides Racing Roja and Castellon in the previous two Copa del Rey rounds to set up this tie, scoring four goals while conceding one in return. The hosts head into proceedings amid a purple patch, having gone unbeaten in their last six matches in all competitions (W4, D2), with three of those four victories coming ‘to nil.’ Moreover, they have not lost any of their four competitive home games since the start of November (W3, D1), netting precisely three goals twice in the process. With five of their eight goals scored in that four-game sequence arriving beyond the 50th minute, the ‘Aladrokes’ could be a real threat going forward in the second half of play.

Meanwhile, Valencia will want to forget their inaugural game of 2022 as soon as possible as they wasted a 1-0 second-half lead to lose 2-1 to Espanyol at home in their opening La Liga fixture this year. That defeat brought Valencia’s nine-match unbeaten run in all competitions to a halt (W4, D5 – 90 mins only), which included a pair of triumphs in the last two Copa del Rey rounds. There’s been plenty of action in their recent competitive games as four of the last five have seen over 2.5 goals and both teams scoring, highlighting the potential for an action-packed encounter in the Murcian Community. Away from home, Jose Bordalas’ men have avoided defeat in all five competitive matches since the start of November (W3, D2 – 90 mins), averaging 2.5 goals in the last four.