\n<\/p>\n
Real Madrid fell to a shock 3-2 defeat in the Copa del Rey last 16 on Wednesday as Alvaro Arbeloa\u2019s debut as coach ended in humiliation by second-tier opposition.<\/p>\n
Appointed on Monday to replace Xabi Alonso, Arbeloa and his side were ousted by Jefte Betancor\u2019s stoppage-time winner at the Carlos Belmonte stadium.<\/p>\n list of 4 items<\/span>end of list<\/span><\/section>\n Without French superstar Kylian Mbappe and various other key players, Arbeloa\u2019s side struggled against a side currently 17th in Spain\u2019s second division.<\/p>\n Albacete took the lead through Javi Villar, but Franco Mastantuono equalised just before half-time.<\/p>\n Jefte put the hosts back ahead after 82 minutes and then scored the winner after Gonzalo Garcia\u2019s 91st-minute goal looked to have forced extra time for the 15-time European champions.<\/p>\n \u201cHere at this club, a draw is already bad \u2013 it\u2019s a tragedy. Imagine a defeat like this, it\u2019s painful,\u201d Arbeloa told reporters.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sure all our fans feel the same way. Even more so when it happens against a team from a lower division, although we already know here how tough any opponent can be.<\/p>\n \u201cIf anyone is responsible and to blame for this outcome, it\u2019s clearly me, the one who made the decisions regarding the lineup, how we wanted to play, the substitutions.<\/p>\n \u201cI can only thank the players for the way they welcomed me, for the effort they put in today.\u201d<\/p>\n After Madrid lost the Spanish Super Cup final on Sunday against rivals Barcelona, president Florentino Perez replaced Alonso with reserve team coach Arbeloa.<\/p>\n The Spaniard selected two players currently playing in the reserves he led until Monday \u2013 holding midfielder Jorge Cestero and right-back David Jimenez.<\/p>\n As well as Mbappe, he left out players including goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois and Jude Bellingham, to rest ahead of the return to La Liga action on Saturday against Levante.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019d do the same again, I brought a team capable of winning,\u201d said Arbeloa.<\/p>\n The first half was mostly played under heavy gloom, not just Madrid\u2019s mood but an intense fog which set in a few minutes into the game.<\/p>\n Vinicius Junior smashed high and wide from long range as neither side produced any clear chances until shortly before half-time, when the hosts took a shock lead.<\/p>\n Villar escaped Mastantuono\u2019s attentions at a corner and nodded Albacete in front after 42 minutes.<\/p>\n Arbeloa\u2019s side levelled before the breakthrough, also capitalising on a corner, with Mastantuono turning home from close range.<\/p>\n Albacete frustrated Madrid after the break and then burst into life in attack to take the lead once more.<\/p>\n Andriy Lunin pushed away an effort from Riki, but shortly afterwards, Jefte put Alberto Gonzalez\u2019s side ahead.<\/p>\n Gonzalo Garcia\u2019s clearance fell to the striker in the box, and he fired down into the ground with the ball bouncing up and flashing past Lunin.<\/p>\n Madrid\u2019s young forward made amends by pulling his team level in stoppage time with a well-placed header.<\/p>\n However, there was a sting in the tale as Jefte produced a sensational lofted finish past Lunin to snatch a famous late victory for Albacete, their first ever against Real Madrid.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not afraid of failure; I can understand that someone would want to call this defeat that,\u201d added Arbeloa.<\/p>\n \u201cFailure is on the path to success; for me, they are not in opposite directions.\u201d<\/p>\n Madrid captain Dani Carvajal, who came on as a substitute and could not stop Jefte\u2019s winner, said the players would work hard to revert the club\u2019s slump.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re not at our best moment, we have to work hard, we all have to give a lot more, it\u2019s a reality,\u201d Carvajal told reporters.<\/p>\n \u201cWe ask for forgiveness for the fans. We were not up to the level of this club, me first of all, and we will give our lives in the next games and months [to turn it around].\u201d<\/p>\n Elsewhere, Real Betis beat Elche 2-1, and Alaves defeated Rayo Vallecano 2-0 to reach the quarterfinals.<\/p>\n Holders Barcelona visit second division leaders Racing Santander on Thursday.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Real Madrid fell to a shock 3-2 defeat in the Copa del Rey last 16 on Wednesday as Alvaro Arbeloa\u2019s debut as coach ended in humiliation by second-tier opposition. Appointed on Monday to replace Xabi Alonso, Arbeloa and his side were ousted by Jefte Betancor\u2019s stoppage-time winner at the Carlos Belmonte stadium. Recommended Stories list […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8647,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8646","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-europe-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8646","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=8646"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8646\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/8647"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=8646"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=8646"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=8646"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Recommended Stories <\/h2>\n
Jefte\u2019s double<\/h3>\n
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