September 7: A Magical Night in Football! Two Giants Stumble Together, While Liverpool Finally Taste Relief!

In the early hours of September 5, Real Madrid played the most frustrating 90 minutes of their season so far.

They recorded 20 shots, 8 on target, hit the post and crossbar three times, and produced an expected goals figure of 3.16. Their opponents Real Betis managed only one shot on target all match.

The final scoreline read: Betis 1-0 Real Madrid.

The winner was the team that had only one shot on target.

This was not a joke, but the real data from La Liga's fourth round.

Mbappe's seven shots, and the goal that never came.

Real Madrid arrived away from home with three straight wins at the start of the season, while Mourinho's return had created strong momentum.

In the 15th minute, Guler crossed, and Vinicius shot toward an almost empty goal, but the ball hit the post. In the 43rd minute, Mbappe had two close-range attempts blocked by Betis defenders using their bodies. In the second half, one of his chipped efforts struck the crossbar.

Mbappe finished with seven shots, four on target, four missed big chances, and an individual expected goals figure of 1.78. He received a 6.0 rating after the match, the lowest on the pitch.

The goal arrived in the 81st minute, and it was Real Madrid's goal. Betis won a corner, Fornals' header was saved by Courtois, and substitute Parrott followed up with the rebound—Betis' only shot on target of the match.

In the 87th minute, Espi scored a spectacular bicycle kick into the corner, but VAR ruled there was an earlier offside and the goal was disallowed.

In the fourth minute of stoppage time, Vinicius was brought down by Natan inside the box, earning a penalty. Mbappe stepped up from 12 yards, used a short-step run-up, and struck a mid-height shot with ordinary placement and power. Betis goalkeeper Valles guessed correctly and pushed it away with one hand. Mbappe followed up, but the rebound was blocked again.

Valles made six saves in total. After the match, he said honestly on camera: 'For these two weeks, we have been practicing penalties with the goalkeeping coach. Mbappe's last two penalties both went toward the sides of the goal, so from the start of the match I decided that if Mbappe took a penalty, I would dive that way.'

This type of defeat hurts more than being dominated. Mourinho stood on the sideline after the match with his hands in his pockets and barely spoke. Asked about the penalty and offside decisions, he said he had not watched the replays and could not comment. He only noted that Real Madrid dominated possession and shots, but failed to convert any chances, and that kind of efficiency would not win games in La Liga. The goal came because they failed to protect the second phase of the corner, and Parrott reacted faster than their defenders.

One more number is worth noting: since 2021, Real Madrid have gone five consecutive seasons without winning away at Betis in league matches, with two draws and three defeats.

In Paris, the script was completely reversed.

In Ligue 1's third round, Paris Saint-Germain hosted Monaco.

In the 31st minute, Kvaratskhelia crossed from the left, and captain Marquinhos scored from close range to make it 1-0. PSG finished with 68% possession and 23 shots.

In the 58th minute, Monaco substitute Teze assisted, and Nazinho equalized with a header at the far post. In the 72nd minute, Golovin laid the ball back, and Idumbo beat Marquinhos before firing into the near corner to make it 2-1.

Before the final whistle, Dembele assisted Ferran Torres for a goal, but VAR ruled it offside and the goal was cancelled.

This was PSG's fourth consecutive winless match in all competitions this season: a 0-1 defeat to Lens in the French Super Cup, 2-2 draws with Rennes and Lille in the league, and then this 1-2 loss. After three Ligue 1 matches, they have two draws and one defeat with two points, sitting 12th.

The last time PSG were winless after three Ligue 1 matches was the 2012-13 season.

Monaco won all three matches to go top, seven points ahead of PSG. Monaco manager Philippe was an Atletico Madrid left-back during his playing career, a key player in their 2013-14 Champions League runner-up team, and later played for Chelsea. Opposite him was Enrique, who had just renewed his contract until 2030.

One detail: PSG have conceded at least two goals in four consecutive competitive matches.

For Liverpool, it was over in nine minutes.

On the same night, in the third round of the Premier League, Liverpool visited promoted side Ipswich Town.

Liverpool had drawn 2-2 in their first two matches against Newcastle and Nottingham Forest. Their winless league run across seasons had reached six matches, their longest since 2002.

In the sixth minute, Gakpo escaped pressure in the attacking area and played a diagonal pass. Isak raced forward, adjusted once on the right side of the box, and smashed the ball in to make it 1-0.

Three minutes later, Gakpo moved to the left side of midfield and delivered a through ball with the outside of his right foot. Isak shifted repeatedly inside the box before firing a low left-footed shot into the near corner for 2-0.

From kickoff to his brace, it took 8 minutes and 42 seconds. This was the fastest time a Liverpool player had scored two Premier League goals since Maxi Rodriguez against Fulham in May 2011.

Both goals came from Gakpo. He leads the Premier League assist chart with three assists this season, and his connection with Isak has already produced three successful combinations. Manchester City offered £80 million for him this summer, but Van Dijk and several former players opposed the move, and the transfer did not happen.

Isak joined Liverpool from Newcastle last summer for €145 million, becoming the club's record signing. After 25 appearances with seven goals and one assist, he carried the 'flop' label for a long time. On this night he scored twice in three minutes, and his three goals in the last two matches put him level with Bruno Fernandes at the top of the scoring chart.

Liverpool did not score again in the second half. In the 33rd minute, Isak scored from a Wirtz cross, but he was offside. Later, Szoboszlai was brought down in the box, but VAR confirmed he was offside and no penalty was awarded.

The final score was 2-0. It was Iraola's first league victory as Liverpool manager.

Three matches on one night, but they all told the same story.

Real Madrid had 20 shots, hit the frame of the goal three times, and produced 3.16 expected goals, yet earned no points. Betis had only one shot on target and won through a rebound from a second phase of a corner.

PSG had 68% possession, scored first, but were overturned at home and remained winless for four straight matches.

Liverpool looked poor in their first two matches, but solved the problem in nine minutes through two passes between two players.

Things on paper—transfer value, possession, shots, historical records—barely mattered on this night. What mattered were other details: who put the ball in the net, who was half a step quicker at a corner, and who studied the opponent's penalty habits before the match.

The scoreboard does not recognize stars; it only recognizes goals.