Albacete stuns Real Madrid in Copa del Rey upset
Baku, January 15, AZERTAC
Substitute Jefte Betancor scored twice as second-tier Albacete pulled off a dramatic 3-2 victory over Spanish giant Real Madrid, eliminating it from the Copa del Rey at the Round of 16 stage on Alvaro Arbeloa's managerial debut, according to beIN Sports.
The hosts took the lead in the 42nd minute with Javier Villar's header but Madrid struck back just before half-time with Franco Mastantuono pouncing on a rebound from a corner.
Albacete regained the lead in the 82nd minute when Jefte unleashed a venomous strike from a poor clearance into the back of the net.
Madrid thought it had rescued the tie in stoppage-time when Guler's corner was met by Gonzalo Garcia, whose towering header made it 2-2.
But as the visitors pressed for a late winner, they left themselves exposed at the back, with Jefte breaking free on the counter-attack and unleashing a sublime right-footed strike into the top corner to seal a shock victory for the hosts.
"We've hit rock bottom; we've been knocked out by a second division team," Real captain Dani Carvajal said.
"You have to face up to it when you lose, and that's what we have to do now. We, the players, are the ones ultimately responsible. There's little else I can say."
Arbeloa said he should be blamed for the humiliation.
"At this club, a draw is always bad, a tragedy. It's painful, and I'm sure all our fans are hurting," he said.
"I am responsible and to blame. As for the line-up and the substitutions, I can only thank the players. Now we have to recover for Saturday [Sunday AEDT]."
Arbeloa's decision to rest several first-team stars came under scrutiny as Madrid struggled against an organised and determined Albacete side. Despite the result, Arbeloa doubled down on his choices.
"I don't regret it. I was convinced that the squad I brought was the right one," he said.
"The players we had formed a great team. I would make the same decision a thousand times over. It's difficult for players to adapt to everything I've asked of them in just one day. We also have many players who need to recover physically."
Madrid's second consecutive loss in less than a week was a blow for Arbeloa, but the manager remained steadfast in his belief that failure is a stepping stone to success.
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