Jesús Galván backs Recreativo Huelva to spring Copa del Rey upset against Rayo Vallecano

Recreativo de Huelva have their sights set on the first round of the Copa del Rey, where they will face Rayo Vallecano at the Nuevo Colombino in about three weeks. Head coach Jesús Galván, in charge of Spain's oldest football club, has expressed confidence in his side's ability to go head-to-head with top-flight opposition and give the home fans something to celebrate.

• Recreativo host Rayo Vallecano at the Nuevo Colombino in the Copa del Rey first round.
• Jesús Galván says the squad is full of excitement and in strong form.
• The Seville-born coach believes Rayo's style will leave space for his team to use.
• Recreativo dream of an upset but still see promotion as the main goal.
• Galván feels Rayo have not started the season at their best level.

Recreativo bring cup excitement into a tie against top-flight Rayo

The Huelva-based club sit second in Group 5 of the Segunda RFEF with 12 points from their first five matches and approach the cup knockout with real motivation. Galván has spoken about the huge excitement inside the dressing room ahead of facing Rayo, a club he describes as historic and deeply connected to its community.

Rayo are a side with a lot of stature and we will respect them as such, but right now we are in a sweet moment and we have to make the most of it.

The Seville-born manager makes no secret that the tie arrives at a good time for his team, who are sitting in the upper part of the table and building positive momentum early in the campaign.

How Recreativo plan to trouble Rayo Vallecano in the cup

Galván is clear that the knockout tie will allow his players to express themselves differently than they usually can in their own division. Against a top-flight side, Recreativo will not be pinned back the way they often are in the Segunda RFEF, and that could open the door to a more expansive approach.

The coach also points out that Rayo, who produced an excellent campaign last season and reached the Conference League final, have not started the current season with the same consistency. That only adds to Recreativo's belief as they look to punish any spaces left by an opponent that likes to play on the front foot.

A less glamorous draw than an Andalusian derby, but still inspiring

Teams like Sevilla or Betis could have come out of the draw, turning the tie into a high-profile Andalusian derby. Galván admits Rayo are not as attractive a rival for the wider public in the region, but he underlines what the fixture means for Recreativo's supporters.

The Huelva boss also notes that the Madrid club do not have the same squad depth as some other La Liga sides, which helps level the playing field in a single-leg tie on home turf.

Promotion remains the main target for the club

Despite the cup excitement, Recreativo's main priority this season remains the league. The coaching staff have not lost sight of the fact that the real challenge is fighting to climb back up the divisions, and the Copa del Rey is an extra incentive to keep growing.

Still, Galván is not ready to give anything up. The team's positive run invites dreams of an upset against a La Liga side and the chance to hand the Nuevo Colombino a special night far removed from the routine of a regular league match.