Real Madrid left La Cartuja with a 1-0 defeat to Real Betis after Kylian Mbappé missed a penalty in additional time of the second half, a costly ending to a match that had already tilted against them. Troy Parrott scored the only goal, and Carlos Espí also had a goal ruled out after a bicycle kick.
The loss lands at an awkward moment because Real Madrid are now heading into five listed matches that begin with their debut in the UEFA Champions League 2026/27. Their opening European game is at home against Inter de Milán, a meeting that carries some comfort in the numbers: Real Madrid have five wins, four draws and one loss in their ten most recent matches against Inter de Milán.
That record, though, does not erase the next stretch waiting for them. The schedule also turns quickly toward a first Madrid derby of the season at the Metropolitano on the weekend of 20 September, then toward Elche, a side Real Madrid have not lost to in 19 matches, with the club’s last defeat in that fixture coming in the 1978 season by 3-1. After the international break at the end of September and beginning of October, Villarreal come to the Bernabéu.
That is what makes the Betis defeat sting beyond the scoreline. Real Madrid can point to a strong recent run against Inter de Milán and a long unbeaten stretch against Elche, but the calendar offers no easy landing. The missed penalty from Mbappé turned a narrow night into one that now sits beside a run of matches that could shape the early season, especially if the first European night at home does not go to plan. A separate analysis of the pressure around Mbappé and contract expectations is available in Real Madrid Fc: Perez backs Mbappe as club faces pressure over contracts, but the only number that matters here is the one on the board at La Cartuja.
Real Madrid have a chance to steady the story immediately, but the opening of their five-match run leaves little room for another wasteful night. Inter de Milán arrive first, and the rest of the stretch only gets tighter from there.
