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🇦🇷 Argentina /Sports

Betis Keeper Saves Mbappé Penalty and Provokes Real Madrid Forward

From La Nación · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Outcome reported
  • Álvaro Valles saved Kylian Mbappé’s late penalty to secure Real Betis’ 1-0 victory over Real Madrid at La Cartuja.
  • Valles said he had studied Mbappé’s recent penalties and decided before the match which way to dive.
  • Real Madrid also had a late equalizer ruled out for offside, while VAR reviewed but did not order a retake of the penalty.

Álvaro Valles had waited for this moment. When Kylian Mbappé stepped up for Real Madrid’s late penalty, the Betis goalkeeper stayed in place until the last instant, dived to his left and kept the score at 1-0.

We worked on it in recent weeks. The last two he took were sent wide. I held my position as long as possible. From the start of the match, if Mbappé took a penalty, I had decided to dive that way.

· Álvaro VallesThe Betis goalkeeper described how he prepared for Mbappé’s penalty.

Valles then celebrated directly in front of Mbappé, including a provocative chest bump. After the match, he said the save followed weeks of preparation. “We worked on it in recent weeks. The last two he took were sent wide. I held my position as long as possible. From the start of the match, if Mbappé took a penalty, I had decided to dive that way,” he told Movistar.

Valles said he also tried to unsettle the forward. “I told him, what luck, a penalty at that minute. I tried to distract him,” he said. The penalty came after Natan brought down Vinícius Júnior in the area. VAR later reviewed whether Marc Bartra had entered the area before the kick, but the referee did not order a retake. Bartra said he would have been inside if Mbappé had delayed the shot slightly.

I told him, what luck, a penalty at that minute. I tried to distract him.

· Álvaro VallesValles explained what he said to Mbappé during the penalty celebration.

Betis had taken the lead in the second half when Troy Parrott followed up after Thibaut Courtois saved a header from Nelson Deossa. Real Madrid thought it had equalized through Carlos Espí’s acrobatic finish, but VAR ruled the goal out for an earlier offside. Valles made six saves, while Mbappé had already seen two first-half efforts blocked with the goalkeeper beaten.

I managed it, but if Mbappé had taken a little longer to shoot, I would have been inside.

· Marc BartraThe Betis defender discussed the VAR review of his position before the penalty.
About this summary

Originally published by La Nación in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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