Overview
- Second-division Albacete beat Real Madrid 3-2 at the Carlos Belmonte to reach the Copa del Rey quarterfinals.
- Jefté Betancor scored a late brace, deciding the tie with a 90+4 minute finish after Madrid had leveled in stoppage time.
- Franco Mastantuono equalized before the break for Madrid and later drew heavy online criticism tied to his transfer fee.
- In his first match in charge, Álvaro Arbeloa rested key players such as Kylian Mbappé and Jude Bellingham, used several youth players, and said, "If there is someone to blame, it's me."
- Recent reports link Xabi Alonso's exit to a dispute over recruitment, highlighting Madrid's €60m move for Mastantuono instead of funding Martín Zubimendi, who joined Arsenal.