Racing Santander are a Segunda División side stepping up into the unknown here. They live at El Sardinero, a ground that can feel like a fortress when the Cantabrian wind blows in from the bay, but this is a different beast entirely. The research gives us nothing on their recent results — no scores, no streaks, no momentum to hang a hat on. That silence is telling. We know they are a second-tier club with a proud history, but the step up to face a La Liga regular is a chasm, not a gap. They will be organised, they will be brave, but they have not been tested at this level recently, and that rust shows against sharper opposition.

Villarreal, meanwhile, come in off a 1-0 friendly win over Levante in early August. It is not a statement result, but it is a clean sheet, and it shows the Yellow Submarine are already ticking over. They are a La Liga side, used to the tempo and the technical demands of the top flight. Their recent form is thin in the brief, but the one result we have points to defensive solidity and a team that can grind out a narrow win. That is exactly the profile you want when stepping down a division in a cup or early-season tie. They do not need to blow anyone away; they just need to be professional.