Real Madrid's Unbeaten Start Ends in Seville

Real Madrid’s perfect start to the league season was ripped up in Seville, and it ended with Kylian Mbappé staring at the turf in disbelief.

On a tense Friday night at the Benito Villamarín, Jose Mourinho tasted defeat for the first time since his return to the Madrid dugout as his side slipped to a 1-0 loss against a sharp, fearless Real Betis.

Parrott pounces, Courtois beaten

The decisive moment came from a player making his own first impression on La Liga. Troy Parrott, the Irish forward newly arrived at Betis, delivered the shock Madrid had been flirting with all evening.

Thibaut Courtois had already produced a strong save from a powerful Betis header, reacting sharply to parry the effort away. The danger should have been cleared. It wasn’t. Parrott read the rebound quicker than anyone in white, crashed onto the loose ball, and buried it. Courtois, who had done the hard part, could only watch it roll past him.

Betis, suddenly, had Madrid exactly where they wanted them: chasing, frustrated, and running out of ideas.

Mbappé’s late drama

Madrid had arrived in Seville with three wins from three in La Liga and a sense of early-season authority. That aura began to fray as the minutes ticked by and Betis refused to back down.

The visitors still carried a threat, though, and in stoppage time they were handed a lifeline. Vinícius Júnior darted into the box, drew contact from Natan, and went down. The referee pointed to the spot. Up stepped Mbappé, the man built for these moments, the player Madrid trust when the pressure is suffocating.

The stadium held its breath.

Álvaro Vallés didn’t. The Betis goalkeeper guessed right, threw himself at the ball, and smothered Mbappé’s penalty. It was the save of a man who had been in command all night, a final, emphatic act to crown a standout performance.

Madrid’s last chance was gone in the 95th minute, swallowed up by green and white.

The unbeaten run is over. The Mourinho era, version two, now has its first scar. How quickly Madrid respond will tell far more about their season than those opening three wins ever could.