Mbappe Flops as Real Madrid Crumble in Mourinho's Bitter First Defeat Against Real Betis

Real Madrid's perfect start to the season came to an end as they suffered a heartbreaking 1–0 loss to Real Betis at La Cartuja on Friday evening.

Despite a heat advisory issued across Seville earlier that day, José Mourinho's side came out firing and created chance after chance without finding the net in the first half.

The visitors unleashed an impressive 15 shots before the break, with Dean Huijsen forcing a sharp save from Álvaro Valles and Vinícius Jr rattling the post from a narrow angle following a brilliant team move. Kylian Mbappé had the clearest opportunity just before half-time, only to see his near-certain goal denied first by Natan and then by the diving body of Marc Bartra.

Madrid's momentum faded after the interval as the humidity took its toll, and Betis seized the initiative against the run of play when substitute Troy Parrott converted the rebound after Thibaut Courtois could only parry Nelson Deossa's header.

Madrid appeared to have rescued a point in stunning style late in the match when Carlos Espí buried a spectacular overhead kick, but the effort was chalked off for offside following a VAR review.

To make matters worse, Mbappé then squandered a 95th-minute penalty after Natan's reckless sliding challenge on Vinícius Jr had handed the visitors a last-gasp opportunity.

The loss—Madrid's first under Mourinho's second spell in charge—leaves Los Blancos level with Barcelona at the summit of La Liga on goal difference, despite having played one game more.

One Thing We Can't Ignore

Madrid were put through the wringer in the sweltering Seville heat, and Mourinho must acknowledge this as the first genuine examination of his squad's quality—a test they ultimately did not pass.

Following a nervy opening-day victory over Espanyol, neither Real Sociedad nor Málaga had posed much of a challenge to Los Blancos, who had made a flawless start to the campaign. Betis, however, proved to be a far sterner opponent.

Organised, combative and dangerous on the break, the Verdiblancos were, as anticipated, a vastly different side from the one that lost 5–2 to Levante—though fortune did smile on them at moments throughout Friday night.

Sharper finishing would have made Madrid comfortable victors, but it simply wasn't their night.

Dropping points at La Cartuja is far from catastrophic—Madrid have now gone five away matches against Betis without a win—but it serves as a timely reminder that there is still much to be done.

Next up: Inter.

Real Madrid Player Ratings vs. Real Betis (4-3-2-1)

*Ratings Provided by FotMob*

GK: Thibaut Courtois—6.8: It was a routine evening for the Belgian until the 81st minute, when his parry failed to push the ball far enough away, allowing Parrott to tap in the rebound. It will be remembered as an uncharacteristic mistake.

RB: Denzel Dumfries—6.6: A more physical and attack-minded option than Trent Alexander-Arnold. He found it difficult to make an impact down the right side despite his endeavour, before being replaced by the Englishman.

CB: Ibrahima Konaté—6.6: Brought back into the lineup after Antonio Rüdiger started against Málaga, Konaté won just one of his six aerial duels and was unconvincing in possession.

CB: Dean Huijsen—7.5: Composed and assured in his distribution once again, he was unfortunate not to get on the scoresheet in the opening half.

LB: Marc Cucurella—6.7: Dependable in both directions. He found it hard to create openings before being withdrawn late in the game.

DM: Eduardo Camavinga—6.1: Tidy in possession during the first half as Madrid controlled proceedings. The Frenchman was substituted after picking up a yellow card.

DM: Federico Valverde—6.6: His heat map resembled a Jackson Pollock canvas, but despite his tireless running, the captain contributed little in terms of creativity.

RW: Arda Güler—7.5: Produced some lovely moments in the first half, though the young Turkish midfielder faded before being replaced by Yan Diomande. He will be disappointed by his slightly overhit pass to Vinícius Jr in the first half that ended with the Brazilian hitting the post.

AM: Jude Bellingham—7.4: After his commanding performance against Málaga, Bellingham was subdued in the heat and was unable to stamp his authority on the contest.

LW: Vinícius Júnior—7.8: A constant menace down the left, generating four chances. He came agonisingly close to a deserved assist after teeing up Espí's disallowed equaliser with a superb outside-of-the-boot cross.

ST: Kylian Mbappé—6.5: An unusually quiet night for the Frenchman, who had two opportunities when clean through on goal at the end of the first half. The main talking point will be his missed spot-kick under pressure deep into stoppage time.

SUB: Bernardo Silva (64' for Eduardo Camavinga)—6.4: Unable to inject much creativity into Madrid's midfield.

SUB: Trent Alexander-Arnold (65' for Denzel Dumfries)—6.6: Another player who struggled against Betis' resolute backline.

SUB: Yan Diomande (65' for Arda Güler)—6.2: Largely invisible during his half-hour appearance, registering just 13 touches.

SUB: Carlos Espí (87' for Federico Valverde)—N/A: Produced one of the great disallowed goals with a stunning scissor kick late on and went close again moments later with a powerful header. 

SUB: Álvaro Carreras (88' for Marc Cucurella)—N/A

Subs not used: Andriy Lunin (GK), Javi Navarro (GK), Mario Rivas, Antonio Rüdiger, Jorge Cestero, Sergio Martínez, Brahim Díaz.

What the Ratings Tell Us

The Numbers That Explain Real Madrid's Surprise Defeat