Cultural Leonesa vs Athletic Club тАФ Match Preview
The magic of the Copa del Rey returns to the Reino de Le├│n on Tuesday, 13 January 2026, as Cultural Leonesa host Athletic Club in a mouth-watering Round of 16 clash.1 The hosts, currently competing in La Liga 2, have proven to be a tough nut to crack at home and will look to heap more misery on an Athletic side in crisis. The Lions of Bilbao arrive off the back of a humiliating 0тАУ5 defeat to Barcelona in the Supercopa de Espa├▒a and are winless in their last three matches across all competitions.2 With Ernesto Valverde’s men reeling from injuries and poor form, Cultural will sense a giant-killing opportunity in front of a sold-out crowd.+1
Cultural Leonesa vs Athletic Club тАФ Match Info
- Competition: Copa del Rey (Round of 16)
- Venue: Estadio Reino de Le├│n, Le├│n (Capacity: 13,451)
- Date: Tuesday, 13 January 2026
- Kickoff: 20:00 CET | 19:00 GMT | 14:00 ET
- Referee: TBC (RFEF Appointment)
Cultural Leonesa vs Athletic Club тАФ Match Stakes
Cultural Leonesa (La Liga 2):
- Win тЖТ A historic upset; secures a place in the Quarter-finals and huge financial rewards.
- Loss тЖТ Exit with heads held high; focus returns to their Segunda Divisi├│n campaign.
Athletic Club (La Liga):
- Win тЖТ Stops the rot; provides a crucial morale boost after the Supercopa disaster.
- Loss тЖТ A full-blown crisis; crashing out of the Cup (their favorite competition) against lower-league opposition would put huge pressure on the manager.
Cultural Leonesa vs Athletic Club тАФ Team News
Cultural Leonesa:
- Pibe тАФ Out (Injury – Attacking Blow)
- Rotation: Manager Ra├║l Llona may name a strong XI given the magnitude of the tie, relying on Manu Justo for goals.
- Defensive Solidity: Conceded only 2 goals in their last 2 games (draws vs Andorra and Real Sociedad B); will set up to frustrate Athletic.
Athletic Club:
- Laporte A. тАФ Out (Muscle Injury – Key Defender Missing)
- Berchiche Y. тАФ Out (Hamstring Injury)
- Alvarez Y. тАФ Out (Doping Suspension)
- Prados Diaz B. тАФ Out (Knee Injury)
- Egiluz U. тАФ Out (Knee Injury)
- Sannadi M. тАФ Out (Knee Injury)
- Vesga M. тАФ Questionable (Back Injury)
- Defensive Crisis: With Laporte, Yeray, and Yuri out, Athletic are down to the bare bones at the back. Aitor Paredes and Daniel Vivian will likely start, but depth is non-existent.
Cultural Leonesa vs Athletic Club тАФ Team Form (Last 5 Matches)
Cultural Leonesa
- 10/01 тАФ 1тАУ1 vs FC Andorra (La Liga 2)
- 03/01 тАФ 1тАУ1 vs Real Sociedad B (La Liga 2)
- 21/12 тАФ 0тАУ4 vs Las Palmas (La Liga 2)
- 17/12 тАФ 1тАУ0 vs Levante (Copa del Rey)
- 13/12 тАФ 0тАУ2 vs Huesca (La Liga 2)
Athletic Club
- 08/01 тАФ 0тАУ5 vs Barcelona (Supercopa)
- 03/01 тАФ 1тАУ1 vs Osasuna (La Liga)
- 23/12 тАФ 1тАУ2 vs Espanyol (La Liga)
- 18/12 тАФ 1тАУ0 vs Ourense CF (Copa del Rey)
- 14/12 тАФ 0тАУ2 vs Celta Vigo (La Liga)
Cultural Leonesa vs Athletic Club тАФ Head-to-Head (Last 2 Meetings)
- 11/11/2004 тАФ Cultural Leonesa 1тАУ2 Athletic Club (Copa del Rey)
- Note: Athletic famously struggled in their last visit here in 2020, winning on penalties/extra time in a tight contest (not listed in recent form but relevant context).
Cultural Leonesa vs Athletic Club тАФ Playing XI (Predicted Lineups)
Cultural Leonesa (4-2-3-1)
Ba├▒uz; Garcia, Fornos, Rodri, Pol; Barri, Bicho; Calderon, Solar, Artola; Justo
Athletic Club (4-2-3-1)
Agirrezabala; De Marcos, Vivian, Paredes, Lekue; Herrera, Jauregizar; I. Williams, Sancet, N. Williams; Guruzeta20
Cultural Leonesa vs Athletic Club тАФ Impact Bench
Cultural Leonesa: Escudero (Experience), Escobar (Late goal threat)
Athletic Club: Berenguer (Pace against tired legs), Djalo (Direct running)
Cultural Leonesa vs Athletic Club тАФ Tactical Analysis
Cultural Leonesa
The hosts will know about Athletic’s defensive frailty. Cultural will likely sit in a mid-block, denying space for the Williams brothers to run in behind. They will target Athletic’s makeshift left side (likely Lekue filling in for Yuri) and look to score from set-pieces, knowing Athletic’s confidence defending the box is low after shipping 5 against Barca.
Athletic Club
Athletic simply need to win. They will dominate possession but have struggled to break down low blocks recently. Oihan Sancet needs to find pockets of space between the lines to feed Guruzeta. The key will be patience; if they don’t score early, the “Cup panic” might set in as the crowd gets louder.
Cultural Leonesa vs Athletic Club тАФ Key Battles
- Manu Justo vs Vivian тАФ The veteran striker will try to use his body to unsettle Athletic’s center-back.
- Nico Williams vs Victor Garcia тАФ Pure pace vs positional discipline on the flank.
- Bicho vs Sancet тАФ The battle for midfield control.
- Ba├▒uz vs The Williams Brothers тАФ Cultural’s keeper needs the game of his life.
Cultural Leonesa vs Athletic Club тАФ Spotlight Players
Cultural Leonesa тАФ Manu Justo
The focal point of the attack. If Cultural are to pull off a shock, Justo needs to hold the ball up effectively to relieve pressure and take any half-chance that comes his way.
Athletic Club тАФ Nico Williams
Athletic’s talisman was quiet in the Supercopa. On a cold night in Le├│n, his individual brilliance is likely the only thing that can separate the sides if the team play is disjointed.
Cultural Leonesa vs Athletic Club тАФ Prediction
Cultural Leonesa 1тАУ2 Athletic Club (AET)
This has “Cup struggle” written all over it. Athletic are in poor form and missing key defenders, while Cultural will be incredibly motivated. Expect the hosts to score and frustrate the Lions, but Athletic’s superior bench quality (Berenguer/Djalo) should eventually drag them over the line, possibly in extra time.
Cultural Leonesa vs Athletic Club тАФ Betting Insights
- Both Teams to Score тАФ YES (Athletic defense is depleted).
- Athletic Club to Win тАФ Likely (but odds will be slim).
- Under 2.5 Goals (Regular Time) тАФ Possible.
Cultural Leonesa vs Athletic Club тАФ Where to Watch
- Spain: Movistar+ Copa del Rey
- International: ESPN+
Cultural Leonesa vs Athletic Club тАФ FAQs
Q: When is the Cultural vs Athletic match?
A: The match kicks off on Tuesday, 13 January 2026, at 20:00 CET.22
Q: Is Aymeric Laporte playing?
A: No. He is out with a muscle injury.
Q: Is this a single-leg tie?
A: Yes. The winner advances to the Quarter-finals; there is no second leg.
Call to Action тАФ SportsphereArena Community
Can the Lions survive the lions’ den in Le├│n?
If you enjoyed this preview, follow SportsphereArena.com for post-match ratings and Copa del Rey updates.
Stay connected for real-time updates.
Stay informed. Stay analytical. Stay in the game.
ЁЯСЗ Comment your score prediction below ЁЯСЗ
Read more:-
13/1/2026 Match Previews
Newcastle United vs Manchester City тАФ Match Preview
Deportivo La Coru├▒a vs Atl├йtico Madrid тАФ Match Preview
AS Roma vs Torino тАФ Match Preview
Real Sociedad vs Osasuna тАФ Match Preview
Cultural Leonesa vs Athletic Club тАФ Match Preview
Official website
