Late Penalty Save Denies Real Madrid as Betis Claims 1-0 Victory
Real Madrid’s perfect start to the LaLiga season came to an end in Seville on Friday as Real Betis secured a 1-0 victory behind a late goal and a stoppage-time penalty save. The result halts the league leaders’ winning momentum after substitute Troy Parrott broke the deadlock and goalkeeper Alvaro Valles stopped Kylian Mbappe‘s equalizer from the spot.
Parrott Strikes and Valles Denies Stoppage-Time Equalizer in Seville
Parrott, introduced in the 68th minute, broke the scoreless tie in the 81st minute by reacting to a ball parried into his path by Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. Madrid mounted an immediate response four minutes later when Mbappe struck the crossbar, followed shortly by substitute Carlos Espi turning in a Vinicius Junior cross with a bicycle kick that was ruled out for offside following a VAR review.
Betis midfielder Nelson Deossa nearly extended the host’s advantage with a long-range shot after spotting Courtois off his line, but the goalkeeper recovered in time to make the save. Deep into stoppage time, Betis defender Natan brought down Vinicius Junior inside the penalty area, granting Madrid a final chance to level the match. Valles saved Mbappe’s penalty kick to protect the lead and secure all three points for Betis.
“I don’t know how we lost because we played very well collectively,” Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho said after the match. “I cannot fault the attitude of any of my players. We deserved to win but deserving to win does not give you points. 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.”
