Real Madrid suffered their first defeat of José Mourinho’s second tenure, falling 1–0 away to Real Betis at the Estadio La Cartuja in the opening match of La Liga’s fourth round.
The setback follows a flawless start in which the Spanish giants recorded three consecutive victories and scored 10 goals. However, facing their first opponent competing in the UEFA Champions League highlighted that Mourinho’s rebuilding project requires further refinement.
Substitute Troy Parrott scored the decisive goal in the 80th minute, turning in a close-range rebound off Thibaut Courtois after Nelson Deossa met Pablo Fornals’ corner with a powerful header.
Real Madrid pushed forward in response but were repeatedly thwarted by bad luck. Vinícius Júnior hit the post, while Dean Huijsen and Kylian Mbappé both struck the crossbar. Substitute Carlos Espejo found the net in the 86th minute, but his goal was ruled out for offside following a VAR review of Marc Cucurella’s pass.
The drama peaked in the final moments when Real Madrid were awarded a stoppage-time penalty, giving Mbappé a chance to rescue a point. However, the French forward saw his spot-kick saved, capping off a frustrating night where he failed to capitalize on several clear opportunities.
The defeat comes as no surprise to Mourinho, who famously noted during his first spell in Madrid that a loss is inevitable and that the true test lies in preventing a single defeat from turning into a losing streak. The result marks the beginning of a critical period for the Portuguese manager as he manages the squad’s reaction.
In a twist of irony, match-winner Troy Parrott was handed his Premier League debut by Mourinho at Tottenham Hotspur as a 17-year-old before returning nearly seven years later to hand his former coach his first defeat of the season. The result also marked the first time Real Madrid failed to score this term after registering 10 goals in their opening three league fixtures.
Real Madrid remain tied on 9 points in second place behind Barcelona on goal difference, while Real Betis climbed temporarily into third place, also with 9 points.
Real Madrid will host Inter Milan at the Santiago Bernabéu on Tuesday, September 8, in their UEFA Champions League opener, before hosting Rayo Vallecano in La Liga on Saturday, September 12.
