Albacete pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the football season, knocking Real Madrid out of the 2026 Copa del Rey Round of 16.
The Spanish second-division club secured a thrilling 3-2 victory over Real Madrid at the Carlos Belmont Stadium.
Albacete stunned Real Madrid with the opening goal in the 42nd minute, before Franco Mastantuño equalized in the final moments of the first half.
Albacete regained the lead with a second goal from Bentancur in the 82nd minute, but Gonzalo García intervened and salvaged a point for Real Madrid with a header in the 91st minute.
As the match drew to a close, Bentancur struck again, scoring his second and Albacete’s third goal with a brilliant touch that left Andriy Lunin helpless as it nestled into the back of the net in the 96th minute.
With this result, Real Madrid’s Copa del Rey campaign came to an early end, marking Álvaro Arbeloa’s first match as manager of the club following the dismissal of Xabi Alonso last Monday.
Real Madrid were without several key players, including Kylian Mbappé and Rodrygo, who were rested by Arbeloa. Despite this, he maintained his core group, including Brazilian star Vinicius Junior, who endured racist chants from the fans throughout the match.
