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Villarreal has been eliminated by second-division club Racing Santander in the round of 32 of the Copa del Rey.
The 2025–26 campaign offers a fresh start for Real Madrid, one that kicks off against an inferior opponent in third-tier side Talavera. The club, currently 19th in its section of the Primera Federación, has lost eight of its last 13 matches across all competitions.
Talavera will be without Valen Gomez on Wednesday, as the 21-year-old was sent off in the previous round. As for Real Madrid, the visitors are still missing a number of big names, with David Alaba, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Eduardo Camavinga, Dani Carvajal, Eder Militao and Ferland Mendy all ruled out.