Softfootball understands that Albacete produced one of the biggest shocks of the Copa del Rey season as they knocked out Real Madrid with a dramatic 3–2 victory in the Round of 16 at the Estadio Carlos Belmonte on January 14, 2026.
The result sent the La Liga giants crashing out of the competition and marked a nightmare first outing for newly appointed head coach Álvaro Arbeloa. After the game Real Madrid shared a post about the result via their official X account.
following the 3–2 defeat to Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup final. Madrid dominated possession from the opening exchanges but struggled to break down a well-organised Albacete side. The hosts stayed compact, absorbed pressure, and waited patiently for their moment.
That breakthrough arrived in the 42nd minute when Javi Villar punished a defensive lapse, rifling his effort past Andriy Lunin to give the Segunda División outfit a deserved lead and ignite celebrations around the stadium.
Real Madrid responded late in the half. Deep into stoppage time, Franco Mastantuono showed sharp instincts to react quickest after a Dean Huijsen effort was saved, tapping in the rebound to restore parity at 1–1 heading into the interval.
The second half was tense and increasingly chaotic. Both teams traded chances as Madrid pushed forward while Albacete remained dangerous on the counter.
With eight minutes remaining, substitute Jefté Betancor swung the momentum back in the hosts’ favour, smashing a powerful volley into the turf that Lunin could not keep out to make it 2–1.
Madrid looked on the brink of humiliation, but they found a lifeline in added time. Gonzalo García struck in the 91st minute to level the score at 2–2, seemingly forcing extra time. However, the drama was far from over. Just three minutes later, Betancor struck again, calmly finishing to complete his brace and seal a famous 3–2 win for Albacete.
Betancor was the clear hero of the night, while Madrid, despite the individual quality of Arda Güler and Vinícius Júnior, lacked cohesion under Arbeloa.
The defeat compounds Madrid’s misery following their Spanish Super Cup loss to Barcelona, while Albacete march on to the quarter-finals, securing a memorable place in Copa del Rey folklore.
