Real Madrid will face one of the most unusual Copa del Rey matches in their 116-year history on Wednesday as they will have to travel to Africa to play their first game of the tournament away to Melilla.
Los Blancos have entered the competition at the last-32 stage and have been paired with the third-tier side, who hail from a Spanish autonomous city on the north coast of Africa, sharing a border with Morocco.
With a population of around 80,000, it is one of two cities to enjoy such a status, with the other being Ceuta, which lies further along the coast to the west. Although officially claimed by Morocco, they have been under Spanish control for more than 500 years.
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Melilla has recently made the news as it has been a location where refugees have tried to get access to ‘European soil’ without having to cross the Mediterranean Sea.
The first leg of the two-legged affair will be the first time Los Blancos have travelled to face Melilla in competitive action and will take place at the 12,000-seater Estadio Municipal Alvarez Claro, which lies around 350 miles south of the Spanish capital, on October 31 before the return match at the Bernabeu on December 5.
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