Mbappe Denied at the Death as Betis Beat Real Madrid

Real Madrid’s perfect start to the LaLiga season ended in Seville when Real Betis held on for a 1-0 victory, with Kylian Mbappe denied twice in the closing stages.

The match began at a high tempo, but the pace fell after halftime in the heat. Betis substitute Troy Parrott entered in the 68th minute and broke the deadlock in the 81st. He reacted quickly after Real goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois parried a header into his path.

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I don’t know how we lost because we played very well collectively. I cannot fault the attitude of any of my players. We deserved to win but deserving to win does not give you points.

Madrid nearly responded when Mbappe struck the crossbar four minutes later. Substitute Carlos Espi then appeared to equalize with a spectacular bicycle kick after meeting a cross from Vinicius Junior, but VAR ruled out the goal for offside.

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I’m very happy with my players, all of them. I cannot fault any of them individually. As for the penalty, when one of us steps up to take it, we all stand together.

Betis almost added a second when Nelson Deossa tried a long-range effort after catching Courtois off his line. The goalkeeper recovered to make the save, keeping Madrid within reach. Deep into stoppage time, Natan brought down Vinicius inside the area and Madrid were awarded a penalty. Valles saved Mbappe’s spot kick, preserving Betis’s lead and securing three points.

“I don’t know how we lost because we played very well collectively. I cannot fault the attitude of any of my players. We deserved to win but deserving to win does not give you points,” Madrid manager Jose Mourinho said. He added that Madrid’s players had been honest while Betis had used its experience and home support to gain advantages.

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The Betis players are more streetwise than the Madrid players, who are very honest. With the backing of a fantastic crowd, they manage to gain these kinds of advantages.