Parrott strikes and Valles saves Mbappé penalty as Betis stun Real Madrid in Seville

Real Betis ended Real Madrid’s unbeaten La Liga start with a 1-0 victory at the Benito Villamarín on Friday, as substitute Troy Parrott scored the decisive goal and goalkeeper Álvaro Valles saved a stoppage-time penalty from Kylian Mbappé to seal a famous win for the hosts.

Parrott, introduced in the 68th minute, broke the deadlock 13 minutes later when he reacted quickest after Thibaut Courtois parried a header into his path. The Republic of Ireland forward’s intervention proved decisive in a match that swung dramatically in its closing stages — Mbappé had already struck the crossbar four minutes after Madrid fell behind, underlining how fine the margins were.

Real Madrid were handed a lifeline deep into stoppage time when Natan brought down Vinícius Júnior inside the area, but Valles guessed correctly to deny Mbappé from 12 yards and preserve Betis’s lead. The save capped a night of high drama in Seville.

The contest had been tightly contested throughout. Substitute Carlos Espí appeared to have equalised with a spectacular bicycle kick from a Vinícius cross, only for VAR to rule the goal out for offside — a decision that will invite fresh scrutiny of how officiating has shaped Real Madrid’s fixtures this season. Nelson Deossa then nearly settled the tie with a long-range effort after spotting Courtois off his line, only for the goalkeeper to recover and make the save.

José Mourinho argued afterwards that his side had controlled the game, dominated possession and created plenty of chances despite the result. The Portuguese coach said he could not fault the attitude or individual performances of any of his players, but acknowledged that deserving to win does not translate into points. He also suggested that Betis’s players were more streetwise than his own, framing Madrid’s squad as comparatively honest in front of a partisan home crowd.

The defeat is a notable early-season setback for Mourinho’s side, who had otherwise impressed in the opening weeks of the campaign, and it hands Betis a significant scalp as the La Liga title race begins to take shape.