When to watch Albacete vs. Real Madrid
- Wednesday, Jan. 14 at 3 p.m. ET (12 p.m. PT).
Where to watch
- Albacete vs. Real Madrid will air in the US on ESPN Select.
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A new era for Real Madrid begins today, as former full-back Álvaro Arbeloa oversees his first game in charge of Los Blancos in this Round of 16 Copa del Rey clash against Segunda División club Albacete.
With Xabi Alonso leaving Real Madrid earlier this week, just seven months into his three-year contract, Arbeloa will be keen for a winning start in today's cup encounter as he looks to prove his worth as a long-term successor to his former teammate.
Albacete, meanwhile, find themselves in the lower half of the Spanish second-tier, but have beaten San Fernando, Leganes and Celta Vigo to reach this round of the competition.
Albacete takes on Real Madrid at the Estadio Carlos Belmonte on Wednesday, Jan. 14. Kickoff is set for 9 p.m. CET local time, making it a 3 p.m. ET and 12 p.m. PT start in the US and Canada, an 8 p.m. GMT start in the UK and a 7 a.m. AEDT kickoff in Australia on Thursday morning.
Former right-back Alvaro Arbeloa had been coaching Real Madrid's B team, Castilla, before being announced as Xabi Alonso's replacement as Los Blancos boss earlier this week.
Denis Doyle/Getty ImagesHow to watch Albacete vs. Real Madrid in the US without cable
This match is available to stream in the US through ESPN Select, which has live English and Spanish-language broadcast rights for the Copa del Rey as well as La Liga in the US.
ESPN's streaming platform now offers two tiers with its new direct-to-consumer setup: ESPN Select and ESPN Unlimited. ESPN Select is essentially what ESPN Plus used to be, with the same content available to subscribers, including Copa del Rey and La Liga soccer, for $12 a month. If you want full access to ESPN's networks and services, such as ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, ESPNews and ESPN Deportes, as well as all of ESPN Select's content, then ESPN Unlimited is the way to go. It costs $30 a month.
How to watch Albacete vs. Real Madrid from anywhere with a VPN
If you're traveling abroad and want to watch soccer action away from home, a VPN can help enhance your privacy and security when streaming. It encrypts your traffic and prevents your internet service provider from throttling your speeds, and can also be helpful when connecting to public Wi-Fi networks while traveling, adding an extra layer of protection for your devices and logins.
VPNs are legal in many countries, including the US and Canada, and can be used for legitimate purposes such as improving online privacy and security. However, some streaming services may have policies restricting VPN usage to access region-specific content. If you're considering a VPN for streaming, check the platform's terms of service to ensure compliance.
If you choose to use a VPN, follow the provider's installation instructions, ensuring you're connected securely and in compliance with applicable laws and service agreements. Some streaming platforms may block access when a VPN is detected, so verifying if your streaming subscription allows VPN usage is crucial.
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Can I livestream Albacete vs. Real Madrid in the UK?
This Copa Del Rey clash will be shown exclusively live in the UK on Premier Sports 2 and Premier Sports Player.
A subscription to Premier Sports, gives you access to all of the networks' channels, which includes La Liga TV.
As well as Copa del Rey and La Liga matches, the network has UK broadcast rights to Scottish Premiership games, BKT United Rugby Championship and Investec Champions Cup rugby, plus NHL and NASCAR.
A full Premier Sports subscription costs £10 per month for Sky and Virgin TV customers. You can also get Premier Sports through Amazon Prime Video as an add-on for £15 a month.
Can I livestream Barcelona vs. Real Madrid in Canada?
While TSN is the rights holder for live coverage of La Liga matches in the region, no Canadian broadcaster currently has the rights to show Copa del Rey matches live in Canada.
Can I livestream Barcelona vs. Real Madrid in Australia?
It's a similar story for footy fans down under. La Liga matches are shown live on BeIN Sports, but no network has the rights to show Copa del Rey matches in Australia.
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