Albacete Shock Real Madrid 3–2 as Jefte Betancor Scores Twice in Copa del Rey Upset

Albacete Shock Real Madrid 3–2 as Jefte Betancor Scores Twice in Copa del Rey Upset

Albacete produced one of the biggest shocks in recent Spanish football history, defeating Real Madrid 3–2 at the Carlos Belmonte Stadium on Wednesday to eliminate the European giants from the Copa del Rey round of 16, on Alvaro Arbeloa’s managerial debut.

Jefte Betancor starred for the second-tier hosts, scoring twice—including a stunning last-minute winner—to seal the dramatic victory in front of 17,000 electrified fans. Albacete’s disciplined defence and counter-attacking threat left Real Madrid, fielding a largely second-string side, struggling throughout the misty encounter.

Real, who had sacked Xabi Alonso earlier this week, were missing key stars including Kylian Mbappe, Jude Bellingham, Rodrygo, Thibaut Courtois and Aurelien Tchouameni. Arbeloa promoted youth players from Castilla, including David Jimenez and Jorge Cestero, while relying on Vinicius Jr. as the focal point of their attack.

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The hosts opened the scoring in the 42nd minute when Javier Villar rose highest from a Jose Lazo corner to head past stand-in goalkeeper Andriy Lunin, sending the crowd into raptures. Real responded just before halftime through Franco Mastantuono, who pounced on a rebound after a Dean Huijsen header was brilliantly saved by Raul Lizoain.

After the break, Real dominated possession but struggled to break down Albacete’s compact five-man defensive line. A missed chance by Gonzalo Garcia in the 70th minute kept the hosts ahead, before Betancor capitalized on a defensive lapse from a corner in the 82nd minute to make it 2–1.

Real thought they had salvaged a draw in stoppage time when Gonzalo headed home Arda Guler’s cross to level at 2–2. However, Albacete’s lethal counter-attack saw Jefte Betancor score again four minutes into added time, volleying past Carvajal’s block and sending Lunin the wrong way to complete the historic upset.

Reacting after the game, Real Madrid captain Dani Carvajal said: “We’ve hit rock bottom; we’ve been knocked out by a second division team. We, the players, are ultimately responsible.”

The result marks a stunning Copa del Rey exit for the European giants and an unforgettable triumph for the Spanish second-division side, who continue to ride their home advantage and team spirit.

Albacete Shock Real Madrid 3–2 as Jefte Betancor Scores Twice in Copa del Rey Upset