Substitute Jefte Betancor struck twice as second-tier Albacete produced a stunning 3-2 upset of Real Madrid on Wednesday, dumping the Spanish giants out of the Copa del Rey at the round of 16 stage on Alvaro Arbeloa’s managerial debut.
On a misty night at the Carlos Belmonte, a raucous crowd of 17,000 turned the stadium into a cauldron as Albacete rocked the European heavyweights, still reeling from the midweek dismissal of manager Xabi Alonso.
Arbeloa, a former Madrid defender thrust into the job, fielded a largely rotated side that failed to assert control against their fired-up hosts, with thick fog drifting across the pitch and adding another layer of chaos to a remarkable cup shock.
Kylian Mbappe, Jude Bellingham and Rodrygo were among the absentees, along with Thibaut Courtois and Aurelien Tchouameni.
Arbeloa promoted right back David Jimenez and midfielder Jorge Cestero from the club’s Castilla reserve setup, while deploying Vinicius Jr. as the focal point of the attack.
The night was marred before kickoff, however, as fans outside the stadium targeted Vinicius with racist chants.
Once the match began, the Brazilian was booed throughout and struggled to influence proceedings as Albacete double- and triple-marked him on the left wing.
The hosts took the lead in the 42nd minute after a sustained spell of pressure. A dangerous corner from Jose Lazo found Javier Villar at the near post, with the defender rising highest to head past Real’s stand-in goalkeeper Andriy Lunin, sending the crowd into raptures.
The joy was short-lived. Real struck back just before halftime when a marauding Vinicius won a corner that Arda Güler swung into the six-yard box.
Dean Huijsen’s initial header was brilliantly saved by Albacete goalkeeper Raul Lizoain, but Franco Mastantuono pounced on the rebound and smashed it home to level the score.
After the break, Real Madrid dominated possession but struggled to break down Albacete’s disciplined five-man defense.
The home side remained a constant threat on the counterattack, and Real’s Gonzalo Garcia missed a gilt-edged opportunity in the 70th minute, heading wide from close range.
Albacete regained the lead in the 82nd minute after substitute Agus Medina’s shot from the edge of the box forced a superb save from Lunin.
From the resulting corner, Real’s defense failed to clear its lines, allowing an unmarked Betancor to strike a venomous finish at the far post.
Real thought they had rescued the tie in stoppage time when Guler’s cross was met by Gonzalo, whose towering header beat Lizoain to make it 2-2. But as the visitors pushed for a late winner, they left themselves exposed at the back.
Four minutes into added time, Betancor broke free on the counterattack. His initial effort was blocked by Dani Carvajal, but the forward kept his composure, collected the rebound and unleashed a sublime right-footed strike into the top corner to seal a shock victory for the hosts.
“We’ve hit rock bottom; we’ve been knocked out by a second-division team,” Real captain Dani Carvajal told reporters.
“You have to face up to it when you lose, and that’s what we have to do now. We, the players, are the ones ultimately responsible. There’s little else I can say.”
