Spanish second-tier Albacete knock Arbeloa's Real Madrid out of Copa del Rey

The former Liverpool and Real defender suffered a shock defeat in his first match in charge.

A REAL SHOCK: Real Madrid head coach Alvaro Arbeloa suffered a shock defeat. Pic: AP Photo/Jose Breton.

Substitute Jefte Betancor scored twice as second-tier Albacete pulled off a dramatic 3-2 victory over Spanish giants Real Madrid on Wednesday, eliminating them from the Copa del Rey at the round-of-16 stage on Alvaro Arbeloa's managerial debut.

On a misty night at the Carlos Belmonte stadium, the energetic 17,000-strong crowd created an electric atmosphere as Albacete stunned the European powerhouses, who had sacked manager Xabi Alonso earlier in the week.

Former Real defender Arbeloa, who was handed the reins in the wake of Alonso's dismissal, selected a largely second-string side and they struggled to impose themselves on their lowly opponents, while poor visibility shrouded large portions of the match due to the dense fog, adding to the drama.

The hosts took the lead in the 42nd minute after a spell of pressure. A dangerous corner from Jose Lazo found Javier Villar at the near post, with the defender rising highest to head past Real's stand-in goalkeeper Andriy Lunin, sending the crowd into raptures.

However, their joy was short-lived, as Real struck back just before halftime when a marauding Vinicius Jr. won a corner, which Arda Guler swung into the six-yard box.

Dean Huijsen's initial header was brilliantly saved by Albacete keeper Raul Lizoain, but Franco Mastantuono pounced on the rebound and smashed it home to level the score.

Albacete regained the lead in the 82nd minute after substitute Agus Medina's shot from the edge of the box forced a superb save from Lunin.

From the resulting corner, Real's defence failed to clear their lines, allowing an unmarked Betancor to find the net with a venomous strike from the far post.

Real Madrid thought they had rescued the tie in stoppage time when Guler's cross was met by Gonzalo Garcia, whose towering header beat Lizoain to make it 2-2. But as the visitors pressed for a late winner, they left themselves exposed at the back.

Four minutes into added time, Jefte broke free on the counter-attack. His initial effort was blocked by Dani Carvajal, but the forward kept his composure, collected the rebound, and unleashed a sublime right-footed strike into the top corner to seal a shock victory for the hosts.