Why was Mbappe not given another chance to take the penalty?
Valdes' Save and a VAR Ruling Leave Mbappe's Late Penalty Miss in Focus After Betis Upset
Thebangladaily.com – Real Madrid's flawless run under Jose Mourinho's second tenure ended on a Friday evening at Benito Villamarin, where a single goal from Troy Parrott proved decisive in a 1-0 Real Betis victory. The result marked the first defeat for the Spanish champions since the Portuguese manager resumed his role at the club, snapping a three-match winning streak that had carried Madrid to the top of La Liga.
The defining moment of the contest arrived in stoppage time. With the scoreline still at nil-nil and Madrid pressing desperately, Kylian Mbappe was awarded a penalty in the 95th minute. Betis goalkeeper Alvaro Valles read the direction correctly and parried the attempt, before centre-back Marc Bartra scrambled to clear the rebound and preserve his side's lead. The sequence ignited immediate debate among Madrid fans, who believed Bartra had crossed into the six-yard box before the Frenchman struck the ball.
The VAR Explanation Behind the Non-Retake
The controversy centred on whether Bartra's positioning constituted a penalty-area infringement that would have warranted a retake. After consulting the video assistant referee, the on-field official declined to order the kick to be repeated. The reasoning, as outlined by Spanish sports outlet Mundo Deportivo, turned on a narrow technicality: although Bartra had stepped inside the area prior to the strike, his feet were airborne at the precise instant Mbappe made contact with the ball. Under the Laws of the Game, an infringement requires a player to be grounded within the area at the moment of the kick. Because Bartra was in mid-air, the referee judged no offence had been committed and allowed play to continue.
For Madrid supporters watching on screens or in the stands, the distinction between a grounded foot and a lifted one felt almost academic. The frustration was compounded by the fact that the miss handed Betis a victory they had chased throughout the match.
A Recurring Curse in Madrid's Penalty History
Mbappe's failure places him in a peculiarly grim company of Real Madrid players who have squandered late penalties in La Liga matches when their side was either level or trailing by a single goal. The pattern stretches back decades. Alfredo Di Stefano first fell foul of the curse against Deportivo in 1955 and repeated the miss against Athletic Bilbao in 1958. Paul Breitner joined the list in 1974 against Real Sociedad, Raul followed in 2000 against Malaga, and Cristiano Ronaldo added his name in 2006 against Valencia. Twenty years after Ronaldo's miss, Mbappe became the sixth player to suffer the same fate in the closing minutes of a league fixture.
The broader match offered Madrid little consolation. Vinicius Junior rattled the post in the first half, bringing the club's season tally of woodwork strikes to six. Mbappe himself saw two shots blocked by Betis defenders Natan and Bartra, while a further effort from the French forward found the crossbar. In the 87th minute, Carlos Espe appeared to produce a spectacular bicycle-kick goal, but VAR intervened and ruled the scorer offside, denying Madrid a lifeline that would have kept the contest alive.
How Betis Found the Winner
The decisive goal arrived nine minutes before full time. Nelson Deossa rose to head a cross, but Thibaut Courtois made a strong save. The rebound, however, fell to Parrott, who reacted faster than anyone else in the box and tucked the ball past the stranded keeper to give Betis a lead they would defend for the remaining minutes.
Mourinho's Post-Match Reaction
After the final whistle, Mourinho declined to dwell on refereeing decisions. Speaking to reporters, he offered a measured assessment of his side's performance.
"The team played very well. Sometimes a team loses and there is no explanation for it. We had more influence on the game and created many chances. I would have been disappointed if the match had ended in a draw, so imagine how I feel after losing."
Pressed specifically on Espe's disallowed goal and the penalty retake question, the Portuguese manager sidestepped direct commentary on the officials' calls.
"I don't know why we lost. We created many chances. We missed three or four good opportunities, and their goalkeeper also made three or four outstanding saves. There is nothing to blame my players for. We probably deserved to win. But deserving to win does not bring you any points."
Mourinho himself received a yellow card during the match — his first booking since returning to the Madrid dugout for this second spell. Asked about the incident, he responded with characteristic dry humour.
"I don't know why I was shown a yellow card, but I accept it. Right in front of the dugout, one of the Betis players looked as if he had died, so I stood up and protested. I thought an ambulance was coming, but in the end he did not need one."
Table Implications and the Weekend Ahead
The defeat leaves Real Madrid on nine points from four league matches, sitting second in the La Liga standings. Barcelona occupy the top spot with the same nine points but from just three games played. If the Catalan side defeat Valencia at Mestalla on Sunday, they will extend their lead to three points while recording a fourth consecutive victory — a gap that would place significant pressure on Mourinho's squad in the coming weeks.
For Madrid, the immediate concern is not merely the points lost but the pattern of near-misses and individual errors that have defined recent outings. Six woodwork strikes in four matches, a disallowed bicycle kick, and a penalty saved in stoppage time paint a picture of a team generating volume but lacking the final conversion. Mourinho's insistence that his players deserve no blame underscores the fine line between dominance and frustration that has come to define this early stretch of the season.
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