Real Madrid, now coached by Alvaro Arbeloa, were criticised for losing their last-16 tie against the modest second division club Albacete. With a score of 3-2, Real Madrid looked devoid of ideas, confident that they would go through simply because they were Real MadridFlorentino Perez’s team could do nothing against the good approach of former Madrid midfielder Jesus Vallejo, who, based on good football and heart, managed to get through to the quarter-finals, although his squad was much cheaper than that of the Merengues.
Albacete 3-2 Real Madrid: Historic embarrassment for Florentino Perez and Alvaro Arbeloa
The team led by Jesus Vallejo began by taking the lead in the 42nd minute with a header from Javi Villar after a corner kick that ended up in the back of the net
It took Alvaro Arbeola’sReal Madrid just five minutes to equalize thanks to Argentinean Franco Mastantuono. The Argentinean prodigy managed to score his second goal for Real Madrid after a save by the Albacete goalkeeper left the ball dead in his area for the Argentinean to score the equalizer.
In the second half, Real Madrid could not cope with the good play of the home team and in the 82nd minute, Jefte Betancor put Albacete ahead again. When all seemed lost for Real Madrid, youth player Gonzalo Garcia appeared to score the equaliser in the 91st minute.
When everything was “decided” and both teams would go into extra time, Jefte Betancor broke the tie with a second goal. The Albacete player left Andriy Lunin stranded and with a ball that went from corner to corner of the goal, entering the angle. With the goal in the last second of compensation, the referee marked the end and Jesus Vallejo, along with Albacete, sealed their passage to the quarterfinals of the Copa del Rey.
The incredible difference in value between Albacete and Real Madrid
To put into perspective the feat that the second division team achieved against one of the best clubs in history, it is enough to compare the values of one gang against the other.Albacete, from the Spanish Segunda Division, has a squad value of just $16.9 million, while Real Madrid’s squad is worth around $1.56 billion. This means that Real Madrid has a squad 90 times more expensive than its opponent and although the club has some of the most expensive players in the world, the white team could not overcome an Albacete that played with heart.
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