The Copa Del Rey 2025/2026 Round of 16 was no less than an entertainment for the football fans. Surely, it won’t be entertaining if you are a Real Madrid fan. Things have gone from bad to worse for the football club as they were knocked out by a second division team in the last kick of the match. At the same time, their arch rivals survive a last-minute sacre, but their keeper Joan Garcia was on point.
Basically, the lower division teams have given tough and close fights to the teams from the top-flight teams. First Athletic Club had to take their match to extra time, where they were defeated by Cultural Leonesa 4-3. It was a close fight for Atletico Madrid as well. The team won the match 1-0 against Deportivo La Coruna. It was a 50-50 match.
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Copa Del Rey 2025/2026: Real Madrid knocked out by a second-division team & Joan Garcia last time save keeps Barcelona alive
Before the match between Real Madrid and Albacete, the news came out that Xabi Alonso will no longer be the manager of Real Madrid. Real Madrid Castilla coach, Alvaro Arbeloa, was made the first team coach. The new coach rested most of the first team players as the team made nine changes to the previous starting eleven, which played in the Supercopa final against FC Barcelona. It was clear that the coach was trusting the young players, and it would be a cake walk for them, and the team would get a win.
Surely, this is not how football works. The plan was simple for the Albacete players: they had to give it all, and they gave. Their efforts paid off as they created one of the biggest upsets in football. They knocked out the best team in the world in the last minute of the match after Real Madrid made it 2-2 in the stoppage time. Jefte Betancor scored a beautiful goal, which made him reach the last eight of the Copa del Rey 2025/2026 season. Now, the question is one for the players, as this is surely not acceptable at Real Madrid.
The pressure was mounting around FC Barcelona after Albacete’s upset. Surely, in the form they are in, no team could have bothered the team. The match was head-to-head, and Racing were giving a tough fight to FC Barcelona, who also kept many of their players on the bench. Ferran Torres scored the first goal in the 66th minute. It was the last minute, and Joan Garcia pulled a great save. This was his sixth clean sheet in the last seven matches. Lamine scored FC Barcelona’s second goal on the counter as FC Barcelona won the match 2-0.
