Real Madrid suffered their first LaLiga defeat of the 2026/27 season after Troy Parrott’s late goal gave Real Betis a dramatic 1-0 victory, while Kylian Mbappé missed a stoppage-time penalty that could have rescued a point.
The match at Estadio La Cartuja remained goalless until the 81st minute, when substitute Parrott reacted quickest after Thibaut Courtois parried a Betis effort into his path.
Real Madrid then threw everything forward in search of an equaliser, but Álvaro Valles produced the decisive moment deep into stoppage time by saving Mbappé’s penalty.
Betis vs Real Madrid result
Final score: Real Betis 1-0 Real Madrid
Goalscorer: Troy Parrott — 81st minute
Competition: LaLiga
Venue: Estadio La Cartuja
Date: September 4, 2026
Attendance: 66,046
The defeat ended Real Madrid’s perfect start to the new league season after José Mourinho’s side had won their opening three matches.
Troy Parrott comes off the bench to punish Real Madrid
Real Betis manager Manuel Pellegrini introduced Troy Parrott during the second half, replacing Cucho Hernández.
The decision proved decisive.
In the 81st minute, Courtois was unable to completely clear a Betis attack, and Parrott reacted quickly to the rebound before finding the net.
LaLiga’s official match record confirms Parrott scored the only goal of the match in the 81st minute.
For Madrid, the timing of the goal was particularly painful because they had created several opportunities without finding a breakthrough.
But the real drama was still to come.
Mbappé hits the crossbar as Madrid chase an equaliser
Kylian Mbappé almost brought Real Madrid level just four minutes after Parrott’s goal.
The French forward found space inside the Betis penalty area and fired an effort that struck the crossbar in the 85th minute.
It was one of Madrid’s best opportunities of the match and a warning that Betis would face intense pressure during the closing stages.
Madrid continued pushing forward.
Carlos Espí then appeared to have equalised with an acrobatic finish in the 87th minute.
However, VAR intervened.
The goal was eventually ruled out for offside, leaving Betis still protecting their narrow 1-0 advantage.
Mbappé misses stoppage-time penalty
Then came the biggest moment of the match.
Deep into stoppage time, Vinícius Junior was fouled inside the Real Betis penalty area by Natan.
The referee awarded Real Madrid a penalty.
Mbappé stepped up with the chance to rescue a point. According to Reuters…
But Álvaro Valles guessed correctly and saved the penalty, preserving Betis’ 1-0 lead. LaLiga’s match commentary confirms Valles stopped Mbappé’s spot kick low to his left.
For Betis supporters, the save effectively felt like a second goal.
Madrid continued attacking, but time ran out.
Álvaro Valles becomes the hero for Real Betis
Although Parrott scored the winning goal, goalkeeper Álvaro Valles arguably produced the most important performance of the night.
He denied Madrid throughout the match and then delivered when the pressure was highest.
Saving a late penalty from Mbappé against one of the biggest clubs in world football ensured his name would dominate the post-match discussion alongside Parrott.
Reuters reported that Madrid had multiple opportunities to equalise but were repeatedly frustrated before Valles’ stoppage-time penalty save sealed Betis’ victory.
Real Betis vs Real Madrid standings: What does the result mean?
Real Madrid entered the match with a perfect nine points from three games after winning their opening three LaLiga fixtures. “LaLiga’s official match record confirms…”
The defeat means Madrid remain on nine points from four matches.
Real Betis entered the match with six points from their first three games, meaning the victory also moved Pellegrini’s side onto nine points from four matches. LaLiga’s pre-match standings showed Madrid on nine points and Betis on six before kickoff.
The exact league positions can continue to change as the rest of the weekend’s LaLiga matches are completed.
For Real Madrid, however, the bigger story is that their perfect start has ended.
Real Madrid’s unbeaten start comes to an end
Before travelling to face Betis, Real Madrid had won all three of their opening LaLiga matches.
Their previous league game ended in an emphatic 4-0 victory over Málaga, with Jude Bellingham, Kylian Mbappé and Arda Güler among the key contributors.
Madrid entered the Betis match at the top end of the standings with nine points from nine available.
That momentum disappeared in Seville.
Despite dominating periods of the match and creating late chances, Madrid were unable to beat Valles.
Real Betis starting lineup
Real Betis started in a 4-2-3-1 formation with:
Álvaro Valles; Héctor Bellerín, Diego Llorente, Natan, Fran García; Pablo Fornals, Marc Roca; Isco, Antony, Fran Beltrán; Cucho Hernández.
Parrott began the match among the substitutes before entering during the second half and scoring the winner.
Real Madrid starting lineup
Real Madrid also used a 4-2-3-1 formation.
The side included Thibaut Courtois, Jude Bellingham, Arda Güler, Vinícius Junior and Kylian Mbappé among Mourinho’s key starters, while players including Bernardo Silva and Trent Alexander-Arnold were introduced during the second half.
The changes helped Madrid increase the pressure, but Betis held on.
Why Betis vs Real Madrid became a huge talking point
This wasn’t simply another 1-0 league result.
The match contained nearly everything football supporters react to:
a late winning goal, Mbappé hitting the crossbar, a goal ruled out by VAR, a stoppage-time penalty and then a dramatic penalty save.
For Real Madrid supporters, it was a frustrating first defeat.
For Real Betis, it was one of the biggest results of the early season.
And for Troy Parrott and Álvaro Valles, it was a night they are unlikely to forget.
Final score: Real Betis 1-0 Real Madrid.
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