Mbappé misses penalty and Spanish press tears into him after Real's defeat

Kylian Mbappé missed a penalty and squandered multiple chances during Real Madrid’s first defeat of the season, conceded at home to Real Betis in the 81st minute of matchday 3 in La Liga. An equalizing goal for the Merengue was disallowed shortly after, leaving the Madrid club with no recourse.

The Spanish press was quick to attack the French striker. In an editorial titled “Dark Night,” Tomás Roncero (AS) sums up the evening in one sentence: “Kylian was unlucky and didn’t even manage to score a penalty.” The same severity appears in Marca, where José Vicente Hernáez argues that Real could have salvaged a different result if Mbappé had made better use of his chances. “Mbappé was decisive but in the wrong sense of the term,” he writes.

The criticism extends beyond the penalty saved by goalkeeper Vallés. Before halftime, Mbappé had a double chance, both attempts blocked. In the 67th minute, he missed another one-on-one, his shot going wide of the goal.

José Mourinho chose not to single out his striker as responsible for the defeat. When asked about the missed penalty, the Portuguese manager opted for a collective message: “When one of us takes the penalty, we all go together.” The coach felt his team had produced enough play to deserve a better result.