FC Barcelona vs. Cornella: Live stream, start time, TV channel, how to watch Copa Del Rey 2021 (Thur., Jan. 21)

FC Barcelona takes on UE Cornella Thursday in the 2021 Copa Del Rey, but will do so without star Lionel Messi in the fold as he serves a two-match suspension. Barcelona is looking to bounce back from its loss to Athletic Bilbao in the 2021 Spanish Super Cup Finals, the match where the Argentinian star was sent off for a hit away from the ball. Barcelona currently sits third in La Liga as it looks to claw its way back into prominence. Even without Messi, Barcelona still has star scorers like Antoine Griezmann and Ansu Fati in the fold. On the other side, Cornella comes into the match via the Spanish Segunda Division Group III looking for another monster upset. Cornella is fresh off a shocking 1-0 win over Atletico Madrid on Jan. 6, with Adrian Jimenez scoring the match’s only goal.

Thursday’s match will air only on ESPN+. It’s a standalone service that isn’t covered by a normal ESPN subscription. Therefore, the match will not be available on WatchESPN or any ESPN cable channels.

TV channel/schedule: N/A - The match isn’t on normal TV channels and can only be streamed via ESPN+ in the U.S. However, if you have Xfinity X1 or a streaming device like a Roku or Amazon Fire stick, you can watch ESPN+ through the ESPN app.

Live stream: ESPN+ - Having a cable subscription with ESPN will not allow fans to watch the match. Viewers must sign up for ESPN+ separately.

What is ESPN+? - ESPN+ isn’t a replacement for a normal ESPN subscription through your cable provider. Instead, it’s an auxiliary service that provides original content and some live sports. It also gives customers access to exclusive content on ESPN.com and access to pay-per-view MMA events.

How much does ESPN+ cost? - Viewers can sign up for $4.99 a month to get all ESPN+ content (this does not include standard live sports on Watch ESPN). There’s also an option to bundle ESPN+ with Hulu and Disney+ for $12.99 per month.

More soccer coverage via the Associated Press:

A look at what’s happening around European soccer on Thursday:

Liverpool is on its worst scoring run in more than 15 years in the Premier League heading into a home match against Burnley. Jurgen Klopp’s team hasn’t found the net in its last three games, during which the champions have picked up just two points to drop to fourth place — behind its biggest title rivals, Manchester City and Manchester United. Indeed, Liverpool is on a four-match winless run, which has come out of the blue since a 7-0 victory at Crystal Palace on Dec. 19. Burnley, which is in fourth-to-last place, typically has a stubborn defense but has struggled at the other end of the field, scoring a league-low nine goals in its 17 games so far this campaign.

Without the suspended Lionel Messi, Barcelona visits third-division club Cornellà in the round of 32 of the Copa del Rey. Messi received a two-match suspension for hitting an opponent away from the ball in the team’s 3-2 loss to Athletic Bilbao in the Spanish Super Cup final on Sunday. He will also miss the team’s Spanish league game at Elche next Sunday. Cornellà eliminated Atlético Madrid in the second round. Third-division club Ibiza, which eliminated Celta Vigo in the second round, hosts Athletic Bilbao. In the Spanish league, leader Atlético Madrid visits Eibar to try to open a seven-point gap to Real Madrid, while Valencia hosts second-to-last-place Osasuna.