Mbappe Rated 1/10 as Real Madrid Fall 1-0 to Betis

Real Madrid lose 1-0 at Real Betis, their first defeat of the season. Kylian Mbappe misses a late penalty and draws savage 1/10 ratings; Mourinho defends him

Real Madrid lost for the first time this season on Friday, going down 1-0 at Real Betis, and Kylian Mbappe walked away with the sharpest criticism after missing a stoppage-time penalty. The French forward, expected to spearhead the attack, instead became the central talking point once the whistle blew at the Estadio La Cartuja.

Troy Parrott decided the contest in the 81st minute. Thibaut Courtois pushed away a strong effort, but the ball dropped straight back into a crowded area, and the former Tottenham striker steered it home from short range. The goal handed Betis a memorable win and ended the unbeaten run Real Madrid had enjoyed under Jose Mourinho.

The visitors twice went close to a leveller in the closing stages. Seven minutes after falling behind, substitute Carlos Espi produced a bicycle kick that beat the goalkeeper, only for officials to disallow it. Then, in the third minute of added time, Real Madrid were given a penalty. Mbappe stepped up and failed to score.

Real Madrid argued the spot-kick should have been taken again, pointing to what they saw as encroachment from Betis defender Marc Bartra. Referees let the original outcome stand, and the home side saw out the remaining moments to secure the result.

The 1/10 and 2/10 verdicts

Media in both Spain and France turned on Mbappe. The French publication Journal du Real awarded him 2/10, saying he had not risen to the occasion or led the side, and calling it a display best forgotten. Le Parisien described it as an unusually flat evening, taking aim at his half-hearted pressing and the lack of sharpness in his play.

Spanish coverage cut deeper. ELDesmarque gave the striker a bare 1/10, labelling him selfish with the ball in threatening positions and dismissing his finishing as careless. The scores rank among the worst Mbappe has received since joining Real Madrid.

Mourinho points at the collective

Mourinho declined to add to the criticism, instead spreading responsibility across the squad and questioning how his players handled the game. "The team played a great game," he told reporters. "Sometimes you lose and you don't know why or how to explain it."

The manager suggested his opponents had simply been shrewder. "The Betis players are smarter than the Real Madrid players, who are pure, naive," he said. He was especially annoyed by early challenges, insisting Betis should have been booked for fouls on Federico Valverde and Vinicius Jr.

"In the first play of the game, it was a clear yellow card for a player who fouled Valverde, and then another yellow for a player who committed a serious foul on Vini Jr," Mourinho said. He felt his own players were too accepting when opponents tried to sway the referee, and he framed that restraint as a lack of cunning rather than a flaw in character.

"We're naive in the sense that Betis players try to influence the referee's decision over the smallest things," he added. "Real Madrid players, in situations that should warrant a yellow card, like when he stepped on Valverde, stayed on their feet. That's worthy of a Real Madrid captain."

Asked directly about the penalty, the manager refused to single out his forward. "And the missed penalty is like I always say: when one of us goes to take a penalty, we all go together," he said. He also credited the Betis crowd, describing a fanbase that pushes and pressures to help produce moments like these.

The defeat leaves Real Madrid exposed at the top. Barcelona can open a three-point gap over their rivals if they beat Valencia on Sunday evening. Mbappe, meanwhile, will have to answer the ratings on the pitch, though his manager has already made clear he views the loss as a shared one rather than the fault of a single player..

Kylian Mbappe, Real Madrid, Real Betis, Jose Mourinho, Troy Parrott, penalty miss, La Liga, player ratings