Espanyol to face Sestao River in first Copa del Rey tie

RCD Espanyol will play Segunda Federación side Sestao River in a single-leg Copa del Rey first round tie on October 27 at Las Llanas, aiming to avoid recent cup upsets against lower-league opposition.

RCD Espanyol have discovered their first opponent in the 2026-27 Copa del Rey. The draw held on Monday at the Ciudad del Fútbol de Las Rozas paired the Pericos with Sestao River, a team currently playing in Group I of the Segunda Federación.

The tie will be played on Tuesday, October 27 at 19:00 at the Campo de Fútbol de Las Llanas, a stadium with a capacity of 4,367 that opened in 1923. It will be a single-leg match, with extra time and penalties if required to find a winner. This cup test comes as Espanyol handle a tricky spell in La Liga, where they sit 15th with 7 points from seven games.

An opponent in form

Sestao River present a serious challenge. The Basque side, completely revamped following relegation last season, are fourth in their group with 12 points from a possible 15. They qualified for the Copa del Rey by eliminating Badalona, Comillas and, in the final round, Terrassa 4-1 in the Copa Federación. Their squad includes midfielder Issa Boiro, who spent a season with UE Vilassar and left Espanyol B to join the club.

For manager Manolo González, the match demands full focus. Captain Javi Hernández has been clear about the need to change their cup fortunes. "In the last two years it cannot be that we have been eliminated by teams from the 2ªRFEF," the player said. "I believe in the Copa del Rey we have to make a statement this year."

A busy October

The trip to Sestao is part of a hectic week of travel. Espanyol will play at Racing de Santander on Saturday, October 24 (16:15) and then travel to La Cerámica to face Villarreal on Friday the 30th (21:00). Three away matches in seven days will test the depth of the squad.

The Perico outfit, four-time winners of the cup, were eliminated in the previous edition by Atlético Baleares (1-0) last December. With the team's top scorer, Roberto Fernández, netting 6 goals in 7 league appearances, the aim is to progress. The next engagement, however, is in the league-a trip to La Rosaleda to face bottom-placed Malaga this Friday. The movement in the standings will hinge on these results.

The original report is at rcdespanyol.com