Real was missing their two most expensive signings, Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka, as well as several other key players, but were undone by a club with a 1.1 million euro ($1.6 million) annual budget compared to Real’s 420 million.It was the third defeat in five matches for Manuel Pellegrini’s side and piled more pressure on the Chilean coach after Saturday’s 0-0 draw at Sporting Gijon and last week’s 3-2 home defeat to AC Milan in the Champions League.
“It’s an embarrassment, I have no explanation,” Pellegrini said at a news conference after the last-32 clash. “When you lose like that there is not much to say. Sometimes in the cup you think that your weaker opponent is easily beaten and until you lose you don’t take them seriously. Pressed about his future, he added: “I have never thought about, I am not thinking about, and I will not think about, resigning.”
A fired-up Alcorcon, which plays in the same league as Real’s youth team Castilla, laid siege to the visitors’ goal in the frantic early stages of the last-32 clash, forcing Jerzy Dudek into a couple of smart saves with shots from distance.
Former Real youth player Borja Gomez gave Alcorcon a shock lead in the 16th minute when he cut in from the right and curled a precise shot into the bottom left corner.
Spain defender Alvaro Arbeloa inexplicably clipped the ball into his own net six minutes later before Fernando Bejar headed against Dudek’s left post.
In other cup first leg games, Quique Sanchez Flores marked his debut as Atletico Madrid coach with a 2-0 win at third-tier Marbella and Sevilla won 4-2 at Atletico Ciudad.
