Real Madrid's Copa del Rey dreams were shattered in a stunning 3-2 defeat against second-tier Albacete, marking a disastrous start for newly appointed manager Alvaro Arbeloa. The match, held at Albacete's Estadio Carlos Belmonte, saw the home side secure a historic victory and a place in the Copa del Rey quarter-finals.

Arbeloa, who replaced Xabi Alonso just days prior following a Super Cup final defeat to Barcelona, faced immediate pressure in his first game in charge. The former Real Madrid player had been promoted from his role as coach of Castilla, Real Madrid's 'B' team.

Albeloa made the decision to rest several key players, including Kylian Mbappé and Jude Bellingham. Rodrygo, Thibaut Courtois, Aurélien Tchouaméni, Antonio Rüdiger and Álvaro Carreras were also left out of the squad. Injuries to Éder Militão, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Ferland Mendy further impacted team selection, while Brahim Díaz was on international duty.

The match began with Albacete taking the lead just before half-time through Javi Villar's header from a corner. Real Madrid responded in stoppage time with Franco Mastantuono scoring from close range after an initial header from Dean Huijsen was saved.

Albacete regained the lead in the 82nd minute when Jefte Betancor volleyed home, putting Real Madrid's Copa del Rey future in serious doubt. However, Real Madrid fought back again, with Gonzalo Garcia heading in an equaliser from an Arda Güler corner in the first minute of stoppage time. Just as extra time seemed inevitable, Betancor struck again in the 94th minute, sealing a dramatic victory for Albacete.

The defeat marks Real Madrid's first ever loss to Albacete in 15 meetings between the two sides. It also means Arbeloa is only the second of Real Madrid's last 10 coaches to lose his opening match in charge. This result is a significant upset, considering Albacete are currently struggling in LaLiga 2.

Arbeloa acknowledged the quality within his squad but expressed disappointment with the result. He had previously managed Real Madrid's youth academy since 2020, including a treble win with the Under-19s in 2023. Despite his past successes within the club, this loss presents a challenging start to his tenure as first team coach.

Real Madrid will now focus on their LaLiga campaign, where they sit second in the table, and their next match is against Levante. Albacete, meanwhile, celebrate a historic victory and await their fate in the Copa del Rey quarter-finals.