WATCH Highlights: Copa del Rey round-up as Real Madrid dumped out by Albacete

The Copa del Rey Round of 16 continued on Wednesday night with the shock of the tournament, as Albacete put out last year’s finalists Real Madrid.

Albacete 3-2 Real Madrid: The shock of the tournament

The headline was none other than Albacete, who dumped out Real Madrid at the Carlos Belmonte, with Jefte scoring the second of his brace with almost the last kick of the game to win it. Real Madrid had left Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham in Madrid, but Albacete were also heavily rotated, with eight regulars not in the starting XI. They took the lead just before half-time through Javi Villar from a corner.

RESUMEN #CopaDelReyMapfre

@AlbaceteBPSAD | 3-2 | @realmadrid

1-0 Javi Villar (42’)
1-1 Mastantuono (45 + 3’)
2-1 Jefté (82’)
2-2 Gonzalo (90 + 1’)
3-2 Jefté (90 + 4’)#LaCopaMola | Octavos de final pic.twitter.com/8a88Hd58B7

— RFEF (@rfef) January 14, 2026

Franco Mastantuono also pounced from a set-piece to send the sides in level at the break. It was another set-piece for Gonzalo Garcia’s stoppage time equaliser to match Jefte’s first, before the eventual winner. Remarkably, manager Alberto Gonzalez had predicted their victory in the dressing room before.

El @AlbaceteBPSAD estará en los cuartos de final de la Copa del Rey haciendo 𝗛𝗜𝗦𝗧𝗢𝗥𝗜𝗔.

¡¡Normal la emoción del Carlos Belmonte!!

@La1_tve #CopaDelReyMapfre | #LaCopaMola pic.twitter.com/9NmD2ZmycN

— RFEF (@rfef) January 14, 2026

Real Betis 2-1 Elche: Chimy Avila inspires comeback

Elche arrived at the Benito Villamarin as potential shock candidates, and had the better of the chances in the first half. It was Theo Petrot that pounced on a loose ball in the box to give Eder Sarabia’s side the lead just before the hour-mark. Elche struggled to keep the game from becoming stretched in the second half despite their lead though, and Chimy Avila grabbed the equaliser 10 minutes later, firing high into the net after a Pablo Fornals cutback.

RESUMEN #CopaDelReyMapfre

@AlbaceteBPSAD | 3-2 | @realmadrid

1-0 Javi Villar (42’)
1-1 Mastantuono (45 + 3’)
2-1 Jefté (82’)
2-2 Gonzalo (90 + 1’)
3-2 Jefté (90 + 4’)#LaCopaMola | Octavos de final pic.twitter.com/8a88Hd58B7

— RFEF (@rfef) January 14, 2026

Avila, who has been heavily linked with an exit, also fired the winner, this time a composed near-post effort with Aitor Ruibal providing the service. The winner came amid loud protests from Elche for a foul in the build-up.

Alaves 2-0 Rayo Vallecano: Three Basque sides in the quarter-finals

Both sides rotated heavily at Mendizorrotza, with Alaves hoping to end a run of three defeats in four, and Rayo coming off their first win in eight La Liga matches. The second half was barely underway when Toni Martinez bundled in the opener from a messy series of progressions forward. El Glorioso were given a helping hand when Isi Palazon then saw red with 20 minutes remaining for a high challenge.

RESUMEN #CopaDelReyMapfre

@Alaves | 2-0 | @RayoVallecano

Toni Martínez (49’)
Carlos Vicente (89’)#LaCopaMola | Octavos de final pic.twitter.com/V1lAQcNlbv

— RFEF (@rfef) January 14, 2026

With just a minute remaining, Carlos Vicente got on the scoresheet. Dani Cardenas had come out to cut short a ball in behind, but Vicente took the clearance first time and rolled it accurately into the back of the net. Following the much more agonising victories for Athletic Club and Real Sociedad, Alaves make it three sides out of eight in the quarter-finals.

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