Real Madrid out of Copa del Rey with Albacete loss in Alvaro Arbeloa’s first game in charge

 Real Madrid have been knocked out of the Copa del Rey by second division side Albacete in Alvaro Arbeloa’s first match as head coach.

Jefte Betancor netted a dramatic lobbed winning-goal in the fourth minute of stoppage time after Gonzalo Garcia had equalised for the visitors three minutes later.

The defeat comes just two days after Arbeloa’s appointment, following the sacking of Xabi Alonso, and three days after Madrid’s Supercopa de Espana final defeat to Barcelona.

Albacete are 17th in Spain’s second division, just one point above the relegation zone, and become the first side from outside the nation’s top division to eliminate Madrid from the Copa del Rey since Alcoyano in 2020-21.