After a midweek draw with Las Palmas, Real Madrid are under pressure as Barcelona are on a winning streak in La Liga. Coach Ancelotti continues to be without Bellingham due to injury.
Without a creative midfielder in midfield, Real Madrid played quite stalemately. Midfielders Valverde, Ceballos, Tchouameni had many difficulties against Real Betis’ aggressive play.
Mbappe shines in Real Betis’ victory (Photo: EFE).
In the first half, Vinicius, Mbappe and Rodrygo did not have any notable combinations. Real Betis played with excitement and they had many counter-attacks that made Real Madrid’s defense struggle to defend.
In the second half, Real Madrid actively pushed up their formation to find a goal. Vinicius left his mark in the 50th minute with a quick shot, but the ball hit the post. In a deadlocked situation, Mbappe made a difference in attack.
In the 67th minute, Rodrygo dribbled the ball boldly into the middle and passed it to Valverde. The midfielder immediately backheeled skillfully, creating an opportunity for Mbappe. The French striker finished neatly, opening the score 1-0 for Real Madrid.
In the 73rd minute, Vinicius was fouled by Betis goalkeeper Rui Silva in the penalty area and Real Madrid were awarded a penalty. Mbappe stepped up and calmly increased the score to 2-0 for the Royal Club.
Real Madrid created more chances but they could not get a third goal. In the end, Real Madrid won 2-0 against Betis and got 8 points after 4 matches in La Liga 2024-25 to rise to second place in the table, behind Barcelona.
After a two-week break to allow national teams to play FIFA Days, Real Madrid will visit Sociedad in round 5 of La Liga on September 14 and then return home to host Stuttgart in the first round of the UEFA Champions League.
Line-up
Real Madrid : Courtois, Carvajal, Militao, Rudiger, Mendy, Valverde, Tchouameni, Ceballos, Rodrygo, Vinicius, Mbappe.
Goal: Mbappe (67′, pen 75′).
Real Betis : Rui Silva, Sabaly, Natan, Diego Llorente, Perraud, Carvalho, Roca, Fornals, Rodri, Ezzalzouli, Ruibal.