ATHLETIC BILBAO, THE OPPONENTS FOR THE ROUND OF 16 OF THE COPA DEL REY

Sevilla FC now know their next opponents in this year's Copa del Rey. The draw has pitted Sevilla FC against Athletic Bilbao in the round of 16. The first leg will take place at the San Mamés Stadium between Tuesday 8 and Thursday 10 January, while the return leg will take place at the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán between Tuesday 15 and Thursday 17. Incidentally, the league match between the two matches will also be between the two sides, which will conclude the first half of La Liga Santander.

Looking at the history, it will be the eight time the two teams face off in the competition, with six wins for Athletic so far, including the 1955 final in Madrid, and one win for Sevilla. The first meeting was in the 20/21 season at the semi-final stage, which, despite finishing in a 5-3 win for Sevilla, a complaint about an ineligible line-up put an end to Sevilla's dream. However, the two times that Sevilla have managed to overcome Atheltic Bilbao in a knockout round, they have gone on to win the tournament. This happened in the round of 16 of the 47/48 season, with Sevilla eventually beating RC Celta in the final, and in the quarter-final of the Europa League in 15/16, where they went on to lift the title in Basel by beating Liverpool FC.