Barça are returning to Cartagena for the first time in 24 years, the only other occasion when they have met the club in the Spanish Cup. That was in 1988/89, the first year under Johan Cruyff, and FC Barcelona cruised through the tie.
The game at the Cartagonova was on January 25, 1989, and Barça won 3-0 with goals from Valverde, Salinas and Amor. They finished the job in emphatic style in the return leg, with Amor and Salinas getting two each in a 4-0 win at the Camp Nou.
Miniestadi and Cartagonova, sister stadiums
One of the most curious things about this game is that the Cartagonova is a replica of FCB’s Miniestadi. The first stone of the Miniestadi was laid on September 24, 1981, and a year later was inaugurated with a game between the first and second teams. A few years later, Cartagena decided to replace their old El Almarjal stadium and opted to create an exact copy of the Miniestadi. On November 23, 1986 work began on what is called the Cartagonova and the first game was played there on February 7, 1988 against Burgos.
