Real Madrid suffered their first defeat of the season at Real Betis after a dramatic finish in Seville, with Kylian Mbappe’s missed opportunities, Federico Valverde’s quiet performance and Carlos Espi’s disallowed goal singled out as decisive factors.
Jose Mourinho’s side had taken maximum points from their opening three La Liga matches, but their perfect start ended against Real Betis. The final stages brought four damaging moments for the visitors: Real Madrid conceded, had a goal ruled out, missed a penalty and were not given the opportunity to retake it.
Real Madrid now turn their attention to the Champions League, where they face Inter on Tuesday. Before that match, online publication Euro-Futbol.Ru assessed the three players it believes contributed most to the defeat in Seville.
The ratings were out of 10, with every player starting the match on a score of 6.0.
Carlos Espi – 4.0
Espi’s late introduction almost produced a dramatic rescue for Real Madrid. The substitute scored an outstanding goal in the closing stages, but his contribution was also central to the decision that denied the visitors an equaliser.
The goal was disallowed because Espi had moved into an offside position during the build-up. His positioning was careless as the attack developed, meaning the quality of his finish ultimately counted for nothing.
He also had another chance to score with a header, but Real Betis goalkeeper Valles made the save. Espi therefore came close to changing the outcome, yet his offside infringement ensured that his most impressive moment of the evening was wiped from the scoreboard.
Federico Valverde – 3.0
Valverde struggled to make an impact and was largely absent from the game. He contested only three duels in more than 80 minutes and created no notable danger, while his only recorded effort was blocked.
One of his most conspicuous moments came when he lost possession in midfield and handed the ball to the home side. His positioning was also criticised for Real Betis’ goal.
As the decisive move unfolded, Valverde appealed for an offside decision that did not exist and moved away from Perraud, who was advancing towards the rebound that led to the goal. Valverde was substituted almost immediately afterwards, although Mourinho could have made the change earlier.
Kylian Mbappe – 2.0
Mbappe was judged the biggest disappointment of the match after failing to convert four clear scoring opportunities. His team-mates repeatedly put him through one-on-one against the goalkeeper, but he could not finish the chances.
On some occasions, poor control prevented him from getting a shot away. On others, he struck the defenders rather than the target, even with the goal seemingly open. Two such efforts came within a matter of seconds.
With Real Betis leading 1-0, Mbappe also hit the crossbar. His difficult night ended with a missed penalty, awarded after a foul on Vinicius. Mbappe failed to follow up after his initial effort, leaving him unable to benefit from a possible rebound.
There was further drama over whether the penalty should be retaken. Marc Bartra had entered the area before the kick was taken, but the referee considered the incident and allowed the original decision to stand. For Mbappe, it completed a frustrating evening in which Real Madrid were unable to recover from their first setback of the campaign.