Jose Mourinho's return to Real Madrid has been met with a setback as his side lost 1-0 to Real Betis, with Kylian Mbappe missing a last-minute penalty.
Real Madrid had secured three consecutive league victories to start the season, but this defeat marks the first blemish on Mourinho's tenure. The winning goal came in the 80th minute from Troy Parrott, a player Mourinho once gave his Premier League debut to at Tottenham. Parrott, who joined Real Betis in a
£17 million summer transfer, scored on the rebound after Nelson Deossa's header from a corner was parried by Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.
Mourinho was visibly frustrated during the match, receiving a yellow card in the 54th minute. His side thought they had equalized in the closing stages when Espi's acrobatic volley from a Vinicius Jr. cross was disallowed after VAR ruled the forward offside.
Real Madrid were awarded a stoppage-time penalty following a foul on Vinicius. However, Mbappe's spot-kick was saved by Real Betis goalkeeper Alvaro Valles, who then engaged in a heated exchange with the Real Madrid star. Video replays indicated the penalty should have been retaken due to a Real Betis player encroaching into the penalty area before Mbappe took his shot.
Following the match, Mourinho sarcastically congratulated the Real Betis players, suggesting they had won the "lottery" and were "smarter" in drawing fouls. He stated that his team had created numerous chances and deserved to win, but acknowledged that deserving success does not guarantee points.
"Congrats to Betis, they won the lottery tonight," Mourinho said. "The game was all Real Madrid, we created so many chances, if we drew tonight, we would have been disappointed."
Mourinho also criticized the Real Betis players for exaggerating fouls, contrasting them with his "straightforward" Real Madrid players. He questioned his own yellow card, suggesting it was due to a Real Betis player's dramatic reaction to a challenge.
This slip-up allows rivals Barcelona, who are aiming for a third consecutive LaLiga title, to potentially establish a three-point lead at the top of the table.