Real Madrid crash out of Copa del Rey at lowly Albacete on Arbeloa debut

Real Madrid fell to a daze 3-2 decision successful the Copa del Rey past 16 connected Wednesday arsenic Alvaro Arbeloa’s debut arsenic manager ended successful humiliation by second-tier opposition.

Appointed connected Monday to replace Xabi Alonso, Arbeloa and his broadside were ousted by Jefte Betancor’s stoppage-time victor astatine the Carlos Belmonte stadium.

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Without French superstar Kylian Mbappe and assorted different cardinal players, Arbeloa’s broadside struggled against a broadside presently 17th successful Spain’s 2nd division.

Albacete took the pb done Javi Villar, but Franco Mastantuono equalised conscionable earlier half-time.

Jefte enactment the hosts backmost up aft 82 minutes and past scored the victor aft Gonzalo Garcia’s 91st-minute extremity looked to person forced other clip for the 15-time European champions.

“Here astatine this club, a gully is already atrocious – it’s a tragedy. Imagine a decision similar this, it’s painful,” Arbeloa told reporters.

“I’m definite each our fans consciousness the aforesaid way. Even much truthful erstwhile it happens against a squad from a little division, though we already cognize present however pugnacious immoderate hostile tin be.

“If anyone is liable and to blasted for this outcome, it’s intelligibly me, the 1 who made the decisions regarding the lineup, however we wanted to play, the substitutions.

“I tin lone convey the players for the mode they welcomed me, for the effort they enactment successful today.”

After Madrid mislaid the Spanish Super Cup last connected Sunday against rivals Barcelona, president Florentino Perez replaced Alonso with reserve squad manager Arbeloa.

The Spaniard selected 2 players presently playing successful the reserves helium led until Monday – holding midfielder Jorge Cestero and right-back David Jimenez.

As good arsenic Mbappe, helium near retired players including goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois and Jude Bellingham, to remainder up of the instrumentality to La Liga enactment connected Saturday against Levante.

“I’d bash the aforesaid again, I brought a squad susceptible of winning,” said Arbeloa.

The archetypal fractional was mostly played nether dense gloom, not conscionable Madrid’s temper but an aggravated fog which acceptable successful a fewer minutes into the game.

Vinicius Junior smashed precocious and wide from agelong scope arsenic neither broadside produced immoderate wide chances until soon earlier half-time, erstwhile the hosts took a daze lead.

Villar escaped Mastantuono’s attentions astatine a country and nodded Albacete successful beforehand aft 42 minutes.

Arbeloa’s broadside levelled earlier the breakthrough, besides capitalising connected a corner, with Mastantuono turning location from adjacent range.

Jefte’s double

Albacete frustrated Madrid aft the interruption and past burst into beingness successful onslaught to instrumentality the pb erstwhile more.

Andriy Lunin pushed distant an effort from Riki, but soon afterwards, Jefte enactment Alberto Gonzalez’s broadside ahead.

Gonzalo Garcia’s clearance fell to the striker successful the box, and helium fired down into the crushed with the shot bouncing up and flashing past Lunin.

Madrid’s young guardant made amends by pulling his squad level successful stoppage clip with a well-placed header.

However, determination was a sting successful the communicative arsenic Jefte produced a sensational lofted decorativeness past Lunin to snatch a celebrated precocious triumph for Albacete, their archetypal ever against Real Madrid.

“I’m not acrophobic of failure; I tin recognize that idiosyncratic would privation to telephone this decision that,” added Arbeloa.

“Failure is connected the way to success; for me, they are not successful other directions.”

Madrid skipper Dani Carvajal, who came connected arsenic a substitute and could not halt Jefte’s winner, said the players would enactment hard to revert the club’s slump.

“We’re not astatine our champion moment, we person to enactment hard, we each person to springiness a batch more, it’s a reality,” Carvajal told reporters.

“We inquire for forgiveness for the fans. We were not up to the level of this club, maine archetypal of all, and we volition springiness our lives successful the adjacent games and months [to crook it around].”

Elsewhere, Real Betis bushed Elche 2-1, and Alaves defeated Rayo Vallecano 2-0 to scope the quarterfinals.

Holders Barcelona sojourn 2nd part leaders Racing Santander connected Thursday.