The Copa del Rey delivered a night of extremes on Wednesday as Real Madrid crashed out in dramatic fashion while Atlético Madrid edged safely into the quarter-finals.
Álvaro Arbeloa’s first match as Real Madrid head coach ended in disaster, with Los Blancos suffering a stunning 3-2 defeat to Segunda División strugglers Albacete Balompié at the Carlos Belmonte.
In foggy conditions and amid a febrile atmosphere, Madrid was second best for long stretches and paid the price deep into stoppage time. Jefté Betancor’s late winner, his second of the night, sealed one of the greatest results in Albacete’s history and sent the home crowd into raptures.
Madrid twice rescued themselves through set-piece equalizers, appearing to force extra time, only to collapse again at the death. Despite fielding a rotated side, Arbeloa refused to hide behind excuses, admitting the defeat hurt but insisting failure would be part of the rebuilding process.
Three days after losing the Super Cup and two days after Xabi Alonso’s dismissal, the sense of crisis deepened.
Elsewhere, Atlético Madrid avoided similar embarrassment with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Deportivo La Coruña at Riazor. Antoine Griezmann proved the difference, curling a sublime free kick past a rooted goalkeeper just after the hour mark.
Diego Simeone’s side, missing key players and short on rhythm, defended resolutely to secure a fourth consecutive Copa quarter-final appearance.
While Atlético move on quietly, Madrid are left to pick through the wreckage of another bruising night.