Real Madrid Humiliated! 2nd-Tier Albacete Dumps Arbeloa Out of Copa del Rey in Stoppage Time Thriller
A nightmare debut for Álvaro Arbeloa. Real Madrid crashed out of the Copa del Rey after a stunning 3-2 defeat to Albacete. Here is how it all fell apart at the Carlos Belmonte.
Nightmare in Albacete: Real Madrid Sinks to All-Time Low
Honestly? This was painful to watch. Just three days after Xabi Alonso's shock exit, the Álvaro Arbeloa era at Real Madrid started with the kind of humiliation that stays with a club for years. On a foggy Wednesday night (Jan 14, 2026), second-tier Albacete didn't just play the game of their lives—they snatched Real Madrid’s soul in a 3-2 thriller.
Arbeloa gambled. He left stars like Mbappe and Bellingham at home to rest. It backfired. Albacete took the lead in the 42nd minute when Javi Villar headed home, sending the 17,000 fans at the Carlos Belmonte into a frenzy. Madrid clawed back through Franco Mastantuono right before the break, but they never looked in control. To be fair, the defense was a total shambles.
The Betancor Show
Here is the kicker: Jefté Betancor came off the bench and turned into a superstar. He hammered home in the 82nd minute to make it 2-1. Madrid thought they’d escaped the embarrassment when Gonzalo García headed a 91st-minute equalizer. Everyone expected extra time. But Betancor had other plans. In the 94th minute, he broke free and chipped Andriy Lunin to seal the biggest upset in Albacete's history. Unbelievable.
Match Statistics: Copa del Rey Round of 16
| The Lowdown | Albacete (Segunda) | Real Madrid |
|---|---|---|
| Final Score | 3 | 2 |
| Possession | 22% | 78% |
| Shots on Target | 5 | 5 |
| The Hero | J. Betancor (2 Goals) | Mastantuono (1 Goal) |
A Make-or-Break Moment for Arbeloa?
It’s only match one, but the knives are already out. Arbeloa took full responsibility, but Madrid fans are fuming. You can't rotate that heavily and expect to waltz through against a team fighting for their lives. Albacete is 17th in the second division. Let that sink in. They haven't won in five games, yet they just toyed with the European champions.
Conclusion: Real Madrid just threw away two trophies in a single week. First the Super Cup, now the Copa. If they don't fix this defensive "ghosting" soon, the La Liga title race is going to be over by February.
Is Arbeloa the wrong man for the job, or did the players let him down? Let's argue about it in the comments.
