Real Madrid suffer shock 0-1 defeat to Betis, Mbappe penalty miss sparks controversy

Mbappe missed a penalty in stoppage time, while Mourinho received a yellow card in the 54th minute for protesting a decision. After the match, Real Madrid TV strongly criticized the referee, claiming with certainty that referee Hernandez was a Barcelona supporter and bringing up old Negreira-era issues. But can all the blame really be placed on the referee?

Possession was 58% to 42%, shots were 20 to 10, and shots on target were 8 to 5. Real Madrid hit the woodwork three times, while Betis scored with their only truly dangerous chance. The statistics suggest Real Madrid should have won by at least three goals under normal circumstances. Instead, a tight-angle shot hit the post, a goalmouth scramble was blocked by a defender's body, and the penalty was pushed away by Valles with one hand.

Mbappe endured a frustrating match. He had seven shots and four on target, wasted all four clear chances, recorded an expected goals figure of 1.78, and had a conversion rate of zero. His post-match rating was 6.0, the lowest on the team. The French forward did not lack effort, but none of his work produced the result he wanted.

Regarding the penalty in the 94th minute, Valles was outstanding. After tipping away Mbappe's low shot with one hand, he walked toward Mbappe, leaned his chest forward, and celebrated by shouting close to his face. Bellingham was the first to rush over and stand between the two players. The scene was certainly eye-catching.

Valles revealed after the match that he had decided from the beginning which side to dive toward. Hearing this from a goalkeeper who saved a potential equalizing penalty carries weight. It showed that Betis remained fully focused throughout the match, while Real Madrid were the side that lost their composure first.

In the 54th minute, Konate was booked, and Mourinho was also shown a yellow card after becoming emotional. However, at the post-match press conference, Mourinho was more restrained than Real Madrid TV. He said he had not watched the replay in the dressing room and could not comment on controversial decisions. He acknowledged that his team played an excellent match, controlled the game completely, had dominant center-back performances, created many attacking chances, yet could not find a reason for the defeat.

That statement was interesting. “Betis came looking for a draw, and they ended up winning a jackpot. Real Madrid's players are very pure, too naive.” Mourinho essentially set the tone for the dressing room: the issue was not tactics, but “smartness.”

In the 64th minute, Mourinho replaced Camavinga, Dumfries, and Guler at once, bringing on Bernardo Silva, Alexander-Arnold, and Diomande. The substitutions were made, but the midfield still could not control possession. Guler and Konate were booked one after another, showing that the players had become anxious.

Real Madrid TV's criticism after the match was intense. The first controversial point involved Espi's overhead kick being ruled offside. Real Madrid TV believed there may have been an issue at the start of the attack, but after countless passes followed, another referee would not trace the move back to the “prehistoric era” to find a problem.

The second controversy concerned Mbappe's penalty not being retaken. Real Madrid TV pointed out that Betis defender Bartra had entered the penalty area and directly participated in the subsequent clearance, arguing that the kick should have been retaken. VAR referee Iglesias Villanueva did not alert the main referee, which Real Madrid TV called a “technical error.”

However, Spain's refereeing technical committee later concluded that Bartra still had one foot outside the area at the moment of the penalty and was not in a state where both feet were off the ground, so the penalty did not need to be retaken. Refereeing expert Pedro Martin of Cadena COPE disagreed, saying that under the written rules, a player's body being inside the penalty area counts as an encroachment and whether the player was on the line is irrelevant.

Therefore, this controversy itself remains disputed, and Real Madrid TV's claim is not a final conclusion. As for the accusation that the referee was a “Barcelona supporter,” it is currently only a one-sided statement without conclusive evidence.

After this defeat, Betis drew level with Real Madrid after four rounds, with both teams on nine points. Real Madrid now face a very difficult schedule: Rayo Vallecano, Elche, Atletico Madrid, Villarreal, and the Madrid derby after the international break. They will also host Inter at the Bernabeu in early September.

With two matches a week and difficult away games against Atletico Madrid and Barcelona, if this attacking efficiency cannot be corrected, the hole in the standings will only grow deeper. Putting all the blame on referees would clearly be unfair. Mbappe's missed chances, Vinicius hitting the post with an open goal, and midfield losing control after substitutions were equally obvious problems.

Pellegrini put it plainly after the match: “We did not win because of the referee. We won because we took our chances, and Real Madrid did not.” This statement was more striking than any criticism from Real Madrid TV. With 50 days until the Clasico, Real Madrid must first get past Atletico Madrid on the road from the Bernabeu to Camp Nou.

Whether they arrive at the away match carrying the narrative of “referee bias” or carrying the confidence of a strong response will depend on when these 20 shots can finally be converted into goals.