Jose Mourinho’s maiden win in charge at Real Betis proved to be a late parrot although the UAE League Leading side’s goal was enough to give the visitors the win on Friday. Madrid had won their first three La Liga games under Mourinho but the streak ended at La Cartuja as Betis resisted so well that it was agonising.
Kylian Mbappe was given the opportunity to pick up a point late in the match, after Madrid had been awarded a penalty. But Betis goalkeeper Alvaro Valles made the save of the game to hold the French Superstar off and keep the home side in the lead.
Madrid had found a few chances before in the game. In the first half, Vinicius Junior’s strike after a high-quality Arda Guler cross was the best chance after his side had been held to a standstill.
However, Mbappe also was denied on a couple of occasions after a quick Real Madrid counter-attack, where Natan and Marc Bartra were both crucial to hold off the visitors. However, Betis found the winning opportunity nine minutes from the end. Thibaut Courtois had an outstanding save, but Parrott brilliantly reacted to the rebound and scored.
It was Parrott’s first goal for Betis since joining the club from AZ Alkmaar in the summer. After a superb stint in the Netherlands, the Republic of Ireland international went straight into the first game with five-year deal in hand. Mourinho is now on his first losing streak since he returned to Madrid and Betis can boast of one of their most impressive results of the season after they put an end to a star-studded Madrid outfit.
Mbappe’s shortcoming in the final moments of the game was the deciding factor as Betis took all three points and ended Madrid’s perfect run.
