Real Madrid fall 1-0 to Real Betis as late penalty miss seals Mourinho's first defeat

Decisive moments at La Cartuja

Real Madrid suffered their first loss of the season in a 1-0 defeat away to Real Betis at Estadio La Cartuja in Seville. Real Madrid recorded eight shots on target across the match and created several clear opportunities without breaking through the host defense. The decisive moment came in the 81st minute when Troy Parrott scored to give Real Betis the lead. Real Madrid responded in the closing stages when substitute Carlos Espí, introduced for the final ten minutes, scored a finish that was subsequently disallowed for offside. In stoppage time, Vinícius earned a penalty for the visiting side. Real Betis goalkeeper Álvaro Valles saved the spot kick taken by Kylian Mbappé to secure the victory. Real Madrid players argued that the penalty kick should have been retaken because Betis defender Marc Bartra had entered the penalty box before the ball was struck.

Mourinho assesses team performance

Following the match, manager José Mourinho stated that he found it difficult to explain the defeat given his team's offensive output and overall command of the pitch. He noted that Madrid's central defenders controlled the opposition throughout the evening while the squad generated multiple scoring chances. Mourinho added that leaving Seville with a single point from a draw would already have been a frustrating outcome based on performance levels.

Sometimes you lose and you do not know why. Sometimes you lose and you do not know how to explain it. We were very dominant, focused, and controlled absolutely everything, with a lot of attacking play and many opportunities.

Mourinho praised the development of Espí despite the offside ruling on his late strike.

He was on the pitch for ten minutes and scored a fantastic goal. I do not know if it was offside or not. Espí did his job well. He has great potential and will improve a lot because he is humble, hardworking, and eager to learn.

Disciplinary dynamic and substitutions

Mourinho addressed tactical and disciplinary matters during the press conference, declining to criticize the match officials directly until reviewing video footage. He explained that he substituted midfielder Arda Güler, who was performing well, specifically because Güler had received a first-half yellow card and risked being sent off. Mourinho commented that Betis players handled game management and pressure more effectively than his own squad. He noted that Madrid players, including Federico Valverde after an early foul, consistently stood up immediately instead of trying to influence refereeing decisions. Mourinho also confirmed that he received a yellow card on the sideline after reacting when an opposing player fell in front of the Madrid bench.

The Betis players are more intelligent than the Real Madrid players in this regard. My players are too clean, too naive. On the first play of the match, Valverde is hit and it was a clear yellow card, then there was another similar play, but we get up immediately and continue playing.

Standings and historical context

The defeat in Seville represents Real Madrid's first loss within the opening four rounds of a La Liga campaign since the 2014–2015 season. The result leaves Real Madrid vulnerable in the league table standings early in the campaign. Barcelona have the opportunity to take a three-point lead at the top of La Liga if they defeat Valencia in their upcoming match on Sunday.