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The Spanish Cup, officially known as the Copa del Rey, started in full fashion in early September, with teams from the lower divisions of Spain taking part in the first round of the tournament. However, for the majority of the global audience, the Spanish Cup will essentially start in the last week of October, with La Liga teams set to join the mix.
In what would be the 116th staging of the Copa, 83 teams battle it out against each other to win the crown of Spain. After the Primera Division, the Copa is the most prestigious football competition in Spain.
The King's Cup, as it is also known, guarantees a UEFA Europa League group-stage spot to the winners, which has however been generally unused with the majority of Copa winners qualifying for the UEFA Champions League through their league positions.
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FC Barcelona are the defending champions of the Spanish Cup, having consecutively won it for 3 years now. However, with a number of teams making positive starts to the season, the competition is definitely heating up.
Here's a quick look at 5 major teams in contention for the Spanish crown this season:
#5: Valencia
Seven-time Spanish Cup champions, Los Che will be strong contenders, as always. One of the most successful and biggest clubs in Spain, Valencia have proved their strength against big teams on numerous occasions.
Starting their league season on a high note, Los Murciélagos will be under the guidance of experienced manager Marcelino García Toral. In his first season at the Mestalla, the Spaniard has found a reliable attacking duo in the likes of Simone Zaza and Rodrigo.
Third-highest scorers in La Liga before the October International break, Valencia CF would be strong contenders to stir an upset in the Camp Nou by denying Barcelona the Spanish Cup, should they come up against the defending champions.
The defence would, however, be a problem for Toral's team, who have conceded a significant amount of goals in the league due to frequent defensive lapses.
#4: Sevilla
Contenders in the race for not only the Spanish Cup but also La Liga, Los Rojiblancos start their Cup campaign against FC Cartagena on 24th October.
Five-time winners of the prestigious Cup, Sevilla are a force to be reckoned with under new manager Eduardo Berizzo. The Argentine manager replaced national companion Jorge Sampaoli, who has been given the task of leading the national team at the World Cup.
Lead by Nicolás Pareja, the Sevillistas have started the 2017-2018 season with an organized defence. Conceding just three goals in their first seven league matches, the men from Sevilla are currently ranked second in La Liga, and are bound to put in a tough challenge for the Copa del Rey as well.
#3: Atletico Madrid:
Arguably the third biggest powerhouse of the 21st Century in Spain, Los Colchoneros start their Copa ambitions on 26th October against Elche.
Diego Simeone's men are one of the most feared units in all of Europe, and are strong title contenders for every tournament they take part in. Ten-time winners of the Cup, most recently in 2013, Atletico Madrid have started the new season full of life at their newly built home, Wanda Metropolitano.
With the likes of Antoine Griezmann, Kévin Gameiro, Diego Godin, Fernando Torres, and Oblak, among others, the Red and Whites have been famed for their disciplined back-line and ruthless attacking zeal.
While winning the league by edging out a red-hot Barcelona and an intimidating Real Madrid squad could prove to be challenging, The Copa del Rey is well within Simeone's men's reach, and Atletico Madrid could just shift their focus and resources towards lifting this cup.
#2: Real Madrid
19-time holders of the crown, Real Madrid are arguably one of the strongest teams in recent years. A remarkable club with a glorious history, Madrid have had their share of problems in the Spanish league thus far, but the Los Blancos have proved their brilliance in the UEFA Champions League, and in an astounding Super Copa win over eternal rivals FC Barcelona.
Captained by an inspirational Sergio Ramos, Los Blancos are the defending La Liga and UEFA Champions League champions.
Recognised as strong contenders for those two titles, Real Madrid would rely upon their attacking flair under the guidance of talismanic forward Cristiano Ronaldo to grab the Copa del Rey as well, in an attempt to run away with yet another treble.
Real Madrid's squad depth with the likes of Isco, Casemiro, Ceballos, Asensio, and Kovacic would be crucial in their bid for the Copa del Rey, as fatigue is inevitably a cause for concern for Zidane's overworked squad.
#1: FC Barcelona
The most successful club in the history of the Copa del Rey, Barca have won the Copa a remarkable 29 times. Believed to have a monopoly over the Cup, the Blaugrana have won the trophy for the last three seasons.
Under new manager Ernesto Valverde, Barcelona looks more promising than last season. With an in-form Leo Messi and stability in midfield, the Blaugrana have been unbeaten, so far, in the season.
A squad depth fancied by many, first-choice Barcelona players would be relieved of fatigue as Ernesto Valverde has a hoard of players at his disposal, who can be inspirational off-the-bench whenever given the chance.
Speculated to only improve their midfield in the winter transfer window, Barcelona is unarguably one of the strongest team in all of Europe ever since the new season began.
Scoring a massive number of goals and surprisingly conceding only two, Barcelona have found an answer to their defensive lapses. Portuguese Nelson Semedo occupies the right-back spot for the team while left-back Jordi Alba has been benefited from Ernesto Valverde's tactical changes.
In-form fullbacks complement the tested defensive duo of Pique and Umtiti which stands strongly behind an experienced Barcelona midfield of Busquets, Iniesta, and Rakitic.
Messi's and Co. would be fan-favourites to retain the Cup and the pint-sized Argentine could be the telling difference for the title, like he has been all these years.
