Why was Mbappe not given another chance to take the penalty?

Kylian Mbappe’s missed penalty brought Real Madrid’s impressive start to the season to an abrupt halt as Jose Mourinho’s side suffered a 1-0 defeat to Real Betis on Friday night. The loss was Real Madrid’s first under Mourinho since his return for a second spell, following three consecutive victories.

Mbappe’s late penalty miss has become the main talking point of the match. In the 95th minute, Betis goalkeeper Alvaro Valles saved Mbappe’s spot-kick, before defender Marc Bartra cleared the rebound.

That decision has sparked controversy. Real Madrid supporters argued that Bartra had entered the penalty area before Mbappe took the kick and that the penalty should therefore have been retaken. However, after reviewing the incident with VAR, the referee decided not to order a retake.

Spanish newspaper 'Mundo Deportivo' offered an explanation for the decision. According to the report, Bartra had indeed entered the penalty area before Mbappe took the shot. However, at the exact moment Mbappe struck the ball, Bartra’s feet were not on the ground. That meant the infringement did not warrant a retake.

After the miss, Mbappe became the latest Real Madrid player to fail from the spot in the final minutes of a La Liga match when the team was either level or trailing by one goal.

Five Real Madrid players had previously suffered the same fate. Alfredo Di Stefano was the first, missing a penalty against Deportivo in 1955. He repeated the feat against Athletic in 1958. Paul Breitner missed from the spot against Real Sociedad in 1974, while Raul did so against Malaga in 2000 and Ronaldo against Valencia in 2006. Twenty years later, Mbappe has joined the list.

Real Madrid created several chances during the match. Vinicius Junior struck the post in the first half, taking the number of times Real players have hit the woodwork this season to six.

Two of Mbappe’s efforts were blocked by Betis defenders Natan and Bartra, while another attempt from the French forward hit the crossbar. Carlos Espe appeared to score a spectacular bicycle-kick goal in the 87th minute, but VAR ruled it out for offside.

Betis scored the only goal of the match nine minutes from full time. Thibaut Courtois saved Nelson Deossa’s header, but Troy Parrott reacted quickest to the rebound and put the hosts ahead.

Mourinho did not complain about the refereeing after the defeat. “The team played very well. Sometimes a team loses and there is no explanation for it. We had more influence on the game and created many chances. I would have been disappointed if the match had ended in a draw, so imagine how I feel after losing,” he said.

Asked about Espe’s disallowed goal and Mbappe’s missed penalty, Mourinho avoided directly addressing the decisions.

“I don’t know why we lost. We created many chances. We missed three or four good opportunities, and their goalkeeper also made three or four outstanding saves. There is nothing to blame my players for. We probably deserved to win. But deserving to win does not bring you any points,” the Portuguese coach said.

Mourinho was also shown a yellow card during the match, his first since returning to Real Madrid for his second spell. Asked about the booking, he responded sarcastically: “I don’t know why I was shown a yellow card, but I accept it. Right in front of the dugout, one of the Betis players looked as if he had died, so I stood up and protested. I thought an ambulance was coming, but in the end he did not need one.”

Real Madrid have 9 points from four matches and sit second in the table. Barcelona are top with the same number of points from three matches. If Barcelona beat Valencia at Mestalla on Sunday, they will move three points clear of Real Madrid with a fourth consecutive victory.

-HIS