Betis Halt Mourinho’s Happy Madrid

Real Madrid’s bright new beginning under José Mourinho evaporated unexpectedly in Sevilla. Betis stopped the team’s forceful start through a collective defensive effort and the inspiration of goalkeeper Álvaro Valles.

Valles denied Kylian Mbappé in every possible way, including a penalty in added time. Madrid had created a large collection of chances and struck the woodwork three times, but Betis survived long enough to find the decisive goal from a corner. Troy Parrott scored in the 80th minute, then Betis held on in a place where Madrid often overwhelms its opponents.

Madrid pushed forward as it usually does in desperate situations, coming close to another late comeback. The effort produced a spectacular bicycle-kick finish, but the VAR ruled that Carlos Espí had been offside at the start of the move. Valles then saved the penalty won by Vinícius Júnior and taken unsuccessfully by Mbappé.

The match had felt unusual from the opening minutes of a suffocating September night in Seville. Players discarded five or six balls early on, creating an improvised feel in a fixture involving two teams due to begin their Champions League campaigns four days later. Arda Güler still provided Madrid’s early spark, sending Denzel Dumfries down the flank before finding Dean Huijsen’s run. Huijsen’s effort produced the first major save from Valles, who remained the defining figure of the night.