Real Madrid picked up a 3-1 win over Cadiz in the Copa del Rey, but it might wind up being the most useless win the team ever picks up in a competition.

Three minutes into the game Denis Cheryshev scored the team's opening goal, despite the fact that he was not even supposed to be on the pitch. The player received a suspension from the competition at the end of last season and was among the players listed as a suspended for this particular match. The fact that he was on the pitch to play in the game means that Real Madrid is facing an early elimination from the tournament.

"We had no idea Cheryshev was ineligible," the Madrid coach said according to Goal.com. "As soon as we realized, we took him off in an act of good faith."

Yet that might not be enough. Osasuna suffered early elimination in September competition for fielding an ineligible player in a Copa del Rey matchup.

This is the latest embarrassment that the Real Madrid coach has had to endure at this point in the season. His inability to get his offensive stars clicking, the supposed tensions with top players and the 4-0 pounding at the hands of Barcelona in Madrid have put him up against the wall. This mistake might cost him his job.

It is not the first time Benitez makes a mistake in this tournament and gets the early ejection. In 2005, when he was the head of Valencia, he fielded four non-EU players in the Copa del Rey despite only being allowed two such players.

If Madrid is disqualified from this tournament, the team will face a tough second half of the season. Already six points behind Barcelona for the top spot in La Liga, the team must go on a tear similar to the 22-game unbeaten streak from last season, to have any hopes of catching up and surpassing Blaugrana.

But that seems like an improbable situation given the team's play over the last few weeks.

The Champions League would be the only other hopeful situation for the club, but few would pick Madrid over Barcelona or Bayern Munich based on recent form.

In essence, this mistake could essentially begin the end of Madrid's season. That kind of failure is unacceptable for club President Florentino Perez who dumped Carlo Ancelotti after two years, despite his bringing the team the fated "Decima."

Benitez would surely not last past this year for such a mistake and yet another seemingly trophiless season.

Should Benitez get fired immediately if Madrid gets disqualified from the Copa del Rey?