‘If this happened to Barça…’ Real Madrid TV rages after Betis defeat

Real Madrid TV has intensified the controversy surrounding the club’s 1-0 defeat to Real Betis by launching a scathing attack on the match officials after Kylian Mbappé’s late penalty was saved.

Real Madrid TV has launched a furious attack on the refereeing after Real Madrid suffered their first defeat of the season in a controversial 1-0 loss to Real Betis, with the club channel questioning several decisions made during the match and particularly the handling of Kylian Mbappé’s stoppage-time penalty.

Troy Parrott’s late goal gave Betis victory at La Cartuja, but the final stages became dominated by controversy when Mbappé saw his penalty saved by Álvaro Valles after Natan had fouled Vinicius Junior.

Real Madrid players immediately appealed for a retake, believing Marc Bartra had encroached into the penalty area before the kick was taken and subsequently influenced the rebound, but the officials allowed the decision to stand.

Real Madrid TV reacted angrily, directing criticism at referee Hernández Hernández and VAR official Iglesias Villanueva while suggesting the incident reflected a wider pattern of decisions that have gone against the Spanish giants this season.

The channel also dragged Barcelona into the debate, questioning whether the same decision would have been made had the incident involved Madrid’s biggest domestic rivals.

However, the controversy has become more complicated after analysis of the 2026/27 penalty laws, with reports highlighting how the rules should be interpreted when a player is airborne during a spot-kick.

The defeat itself was particularly damaging for José Mourinho, whose return to the Real Madrid dugout had begun with three consecutive victories. Madrid also had a Carlos Espí goal ruled out for offside before Mbappé’s late miss completed a frustrating night.

Despite dominating significant periods of the match, Madrid were unable to find an equaliser, while Betis goalkeeper Valles produced a decisive performance to preserve his side’s victory.