Madrid Shocked in Albacete as Arbeloa Era Starts With a Brutal Cup Exit
Good evening and what a night it was at the Carlos Belmonte, a night that Real Madrid fans will want to forget very quickly. The Copa del Rey is known for surprises, but this one hit especially hard. Albacete, a Segunda División side under league pressure, knocked out Real Madrid with a dramatic 3–2 win, sealing it deep into stoppage time and sending shockwaves through Spanish football.
This was supposed to be the beginning of something new. Álvaro Arbeloa stepped into the Madrid dugout for his first match after the sudden end of Xabi Alonso’s tenure. Expectations were cautious but hopeful. Instead, Madrid walked straight into a storm. Arbeloa rotated heavily, trusting a mix of squad players and academy prospects and that decision quickly became the story of the night.
Albacete played without fear. They stayed organized, waited for their moments and fed off the energy of a stadium that sensed history was possible. Just before halftime, Javi Villar rose highest from a corner and put the home side ahead. Madrid responded after the break through young talent Franco Mastantuono, but stability never followed. The rhythm was slow, the movement predictable and the urgency came in short bursts rather than waves.
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As the match wore on, Albacete grew bolder. Jefté Betancor, coming off the bench, changed everything. His first goal late in the second half punished hesitant defending and reignited belief in the stands. Madrid pushed back again and found a late equalizer through Gonzalo García and at that point, extra time felt inevitable.
But cup football can be cruel. In the 94th minute, Jefté chased what looked like a lost cause, stayed alive after a rebound and curled the ball into the net. The stadium exploded. Albacete had done it. For the first time in their history, they had beaten Real Madrid and they had done it on one of the biggest stages they could ask for.
For Madrid, the consequences are serious. This defeat means a second lost trophy chance in a single week, following the Supercopa disappointment. It also puts immediate pressure on Arbeloa, whose new era begins not with optimism, but with questions. About depth. About leadership. And about whether this squad can respond when things turn uncomfortable.
For Albacete, it is a night that will live forever. A reminder of why the Copa del Rey still matters and why no badge, no matter how big, is ever safe on a cold cup night.
That’s the story from Albacete, where belief beat reputation and where a new chapter for Real Madrid began in the harshest way possible.
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