Real Betis secured a dramatic 1-0 victory over Real Madrid at La Cartuja Stadium on Friday
Troy Parrott scored the decisive goal for Betis in the 81st minute of the La Liga encounter
Goalkeeper Álvaro Valles saved an injury-time penalty from Kylian Mbappé to seal the win
Álvaro Valles saved Kylian Mbappé’s injury-time penalty as Real Betis beat Real Madrid 1-0 in La Liga on Friday, handing Jose Mourinho his first defeat since returning to the Madrid bench this season.
The late stop at La Cartuja Stadium sealed an upset after Troy Parrott put Betis ahead in the 81st minute. Madrid had pushed for an equaliser but could not find a way past Valles, who also denied Jude Bellingham early in the game with a diving save.
Mbappé looked set to rescue a point when Madrid won a spot kick deep into added time. Instead, his miss left Madrid with its first match loss of the campaign under Mourinho and gave Betis a result that turned on one decisive moment.
Valles Saves Penalty
Valles held firm.
Vinícius Júnior won the penalty after dribbling down the left side of the endline and drawing a foul from Betis defender Natan, who slid into him. Mbappé then stutter-stepped in his run-up and aimed low to the left, but Valles read it right and smothered the shot.
The Betis goalkeeper said preparation helped him guess the right side. “We were sure we had it, but of course you also need a bit of luck,” Valles said about predicting Mbappé's strike. “He is very good at trying to make you commit early and not showing you where he is aiming. I was fortunate to stop it.”
The save sparked wild celebrations. Valles roared after the stop and then gave Mbappé a chest bump as the Madrid forward stood stunned.
Mbappé’s Missed Chances
It was a rare off night.
Mbappé has scored in two of three games this season, including one hat trick, but he struggled in Seville. Before the penalty miss, he wasted a double chance in the first half after Vinícius set him up with Valles out of position.
Both of Mbappé’s back-to-back efforts struck different Betis defenders. He also sent another shot against the goal frame as Madrid failed to turn pressure into goals.
The France forward led the World Cup in scoring this summer and will soon get another chance to respond. Madrid host Inter Milan in their Champions League opener on Tuesday.
