Real Madrid's Copa del Rey failure in Arbeloa's debut

BarcelonaÁlvaro Arbeloa's debut as Real Madrid coach ended in a resounding Copa del Rey failure. Los Blancos unexpectedly fell in Albacete (3-2) in the round of 16 after a very poor performance in both attack and defense, lacking ideas and physicality. The match was decided by a goal in the final minute of stoppage time. Jefté, who had come on in the second half, became the local hero on a night that the fans who packed the Carlos Belmonte stadium will not easily forget. In just four days, Los Blancos lost two titles: the Supercopa and the Copa del Rey.

Arbeloa's debut was anything but a turning point. The new Madrid coach, making his debut on an elite bench, rested a good portion of the team's key players. In addition to Mbappé, who was carrying a knock, Courtois, Bellingham, Rodrygo, and Carreras did not travel to Albacete. Vinicius did play the full 90 minutes in a match marked by dense fog in the stadium.

What so often happens in the Cup, in a single-leg match between two teams of different leagues, happened: the underdog came out hungry for victory. Albacete's ambition, spurred on by a packed stadium, contrasted sharply with the apathy of the Real Madrid players, who played without any ideas. Arbeloa watched from the sidelines, hands in his pockets, completely unresponsive. Nothing like, at least yesterday, the constant pacing and gesticulating of his predecessor, Xabi Alonso, who never stopped moving around and gesticulating in the technical area. With the game lacking fluidity, the goals came from set pieces. The first half, a scrappy affair, was turned on its head at the very end when Albacete broke through Lunin's defense with a header from Javier Villar. The home center-back anticipated Mastantuono's marking and sent the ball into the top corner.

It seemed the first half would end there, but in an isolated attack, Vinicius forced a corner. The two minutes of added time indicated by the referee, the Catalan Garcia Verdura, had already elapsed, but even so, the official allowed Real Madrid one last chance. And Mastantuono, making amends for his earlier mistake, equalized, taking advantage of a rebound from the goalkeeper and some poor defending on the second ball. The match reached halftime amidst whistles and a red card for the Albacete team doctor, who went after the referee to protest.

It's safe to assume that Arbeloa tried to bring some order to the situation at halftime, because in the second half Real Madrid came out with a more attacking mindset. Helped in part by an Albacete side that sat deep in their own area, the first ten minutes after the restart were dominated by Real Madrid, although without creating any clear-cut chances. It was all balls out wide and crosses that were cleared by the center-backs, while Vinicius repeatedly tried, without success, individual runs to cut inside and get past defenders with the occasional shot across goal. The Madrid fervor ended when Albacete made substitutions and brought fresh legs onto the pitch. The home side recovered possession and moved the ball with speed and purpose. However, a lack of individual quality proved decisive. They always failed to deliver the final, decisive pass. Nevertheless, Arbeloa sensed danger and began to bring on key players like Alaba and Camavinga. Later, it was Carvajal's turn, who was returning from injury. Despite the changes, Real Madrid looked tired and were relying entirely on the brilliance of the stars on the pitch.

A heart-stopping finish at Carlos Belmonte

The match was entering its final stages and Albacete decided to push forward. Madrid remained lethargic, and the stadium erupted with the first real chance for the home side after a serious error by Cestero, which Lunin denied with a brilliant reflex save. But in the very next attack, it was the Madrid goalkeeper who would be at fault. With the defense disorganized, the ball fell to Jefté, who volleyed it at the near post. Lunin wasn't expecting it, and by the time he tried to react, the ball was already in the back of the net. With eight minutes remaining, Madrid's response was predictable: they threw everything forward. The Albacete defense hunkered down and tried to hold on, but from another corner, right in the 90th minute, Gonzalo outjumped everyone and headed the ball into the back of the net. It seemed the match was destined for extra time, but in a final play, a long ball that no one expected, Jefté unleashed pandemonium with a moment of individual brilliance. He outpaced Carvajal and, with his feet planted, curled a shot into the far corner. A magnificent goal that secured Albacete's qualification and confirmed once again that Arbeloa has plenty of work to do.