Hello everyone and welcome to another MARCA in English live blog, this time covering the Copa del Rey Round of 16 duel between Albacete and Real Madrid at the Estadio Carlos Belmonte.

Los Blancos are heading into the clash on the back of a 3-2 defeat at the hands of Barcelona in the Supercopa de Espana final that took place on Sunday in Saudi Arabia. That defeat led to Xabi Alonso's departure from the club seven months after joining Real Madrid from Bayer Leverkusen.

The Spanish tactician has been succeeded by former Castilla coach Alvaro Arbeloa, who won two Champions League titles as a Real Madrid player in the past. Arbeloa will make his dugout debut tonight in the team's bid to get back to winning ways and clinch a spot in the Copa del Rey quarterfinals.

To do so, they'll have to go past an Albacete side that have yet to celebrate a victory in 2026. In the previous round of the competition, the hosts eliminated LaLiga EA SPORTS side Celta, whom they beat on penalties after drawing 2-2 in regular time. Yet that triumph has been followed by two draws and one defeat in their last three LaLiga HYPERMOTION games.

The last time the two teams face each other was back in 2004/05 - Albacete's last season in the top flight. It now remains to be seen if Real Madrid will bounce back from adversity, or whether Albacete can pull an upset on home soil.

Albacete vs Real Madrid live latest text updates

When is Albacete vs Real Madrid?

Kick-off is scheduled for 21:00 CET. For fans in the United Kingdom, the match begins at 20:00 GMT.

In the United States, it will get underway at 15:00 ET / 12:00 PT.

Where to watch Albacete vs Real Madrid?

In the United States, the Albacete vs Real Madrid will be available through ESPN+. For viewers in the United Kingdom, the match will be available via Premier Sports, with streaming through Premier Player.