Real Madrid dumped out of Copa del Rey by second-division Albacete

For his debut, Arbeloa made several changes following the Spanish Super Cup defeat to Barcelona. Franco Mastantuono started, alongside youngsters Jorge Cestero and David Jiménez. As the higher-rated team, Real Madrid dominated possession, but Albacete stunned the visitors by taking the lead in the 42nd minute through a Javi Villar header.

Real Madrid responded in stoppage time of the first half, with Mastantuono scoring the equaliser to make it 1-1 at the break. The second half was more balanced, with both sides searching for a breakthrough but failing to score for the opening 30 minutes.

Albacete regained the lead in the 82nd minute when Jefte found space unmarked and finished to make it 2-1. Real Madrid struck back again in the first minute of stoppage time, as Gonzalo García levelled the score at 2-2. However, just three minutes later, Jefte completed his brace on the counter-attack to seal a 3-2 win for Albacete, who advanced to the next round while Real Madrid were knocked out.

Speaking after the match, Arbeloa was defiant despite the setback: “I don’t have to explain anything to the club president because he knows a lot more about this than I do, with the experience he has. He has been president for 25 years and a Madridista for many more. He knows the history of this club. We are a winning club and we only look ahead. We are already thinking about La Liga and the Champions League, which are our main objectives. We have to put this behind us.”

Captain Dani Carvajal was more critical in his assessment: “Today we hit rock bottom. We’ve been knocked out by a Segunda División team and congratulations to them. From tomorrow, we have to be self-critical individually and collectively. We still have time to turn the season around. We have two fantastic competitions to fight for. The team isn’t at its best right now and we have to work hard.

“We all have to give a lot more and that is the reality. That’s the message: we have to go all out. We also apologise to the fans. We are not, myself first, at the level and expectations of this club. We promise to give our all in the games over the next few months so that the situation can be reversed.”

Real Madrid now return to La Liga action against Levante on 17 January, with Carlo Ancelotti’s former side currently four points behind Barcelona in the title race. They will then shift focus to the Champions League on 21 January, when they face Monaco. Madrid sit seventh in the Swiss stage standings and will need an improved goal difference to secure a place in the top eight.