Copa del Rey 2017/18: Fuenlabrada 0-2 Real Madrid - 5 Talking Points

#1 This farcical cup format needs to change

Red card for the Copa Del Rey format

The early rounds of the Copa Del Rey are a drab affair for everyone included - the fans, the players and the organizers. Seeding top teams with lower league sides is a good measure for sides like Fuenlabrada to get some recognition and receive some extra cash through revenue and TV rights. But, a two-legged fixture kills the competition and always puts the tie in favour of the big team.

Imagine how interesting the match would have been if it had been a one-legged fixture when Real Madrid and Fuenlabrada were at 0-0 after the hour mark! Instead, Real were comfortable knowing that the second leg at home will surely help them to proceed further.

For the bottom tier teams to have a chance of proceeding and improving the quality of the competition, the format needs to be changed by taking away the insurance of a second leg.