La Liga Daily Report - 2026-09-04

Real Betis defeated Real Madrid 1-0 in Seville on Friday, ending José Mourinho’s perfect start to his second spell in charge. Troy Parrott scored the only goal in the 81st minute, reacting quickest after Thibaut Courtois saved a header. Madrid had created several openings, with Vinícius Júnior hitting the post and Álvaro Vallés denying Jude Bellingham and Dean Huijsen. Carlos Espí appeared to equalise with an overhead kick late on, but VAR ruled the effort out for offside. Madrid then won a stoppage-time penalty after Natan fouled Vinícius, but Vallés saved Kylian Mbappé’s spot-kick to secure the points.

Betis’ victory was built on disciplined defending and Vallés’ outstanding goalkeeping, while Madrid’s inability to convert sustained pressure proved decisive. The result was Mourinho’s first defeat since returning to the club and halted a three-match winning run in La Liga. Vallés said he had studied Mbappé’s penalties and waited for the Frenchman to choose his direction before making the decisive save. Betis also gained an important result after entering the fixture with two wins from their opening three league matches. Madrid will now have to respond after an evening in which possession and chances brought no reward.

Valencia were facing a significant injury problem before hosting Barcelona on Sunday, according to reports from The Hans India and newKerala. Guido Rodríguez, José Copete, Sadiq Umar, Justin de Haas, Diego López and Sergi Canós were reported certain to miss the match, while Dimitri Foulquier, Luis Rioja and Kayne van Oevelen were doubts. Carlos Corberán’s side had taken only one point from their opening three fixtures, drawing 0-0 with Celta Vigo before losing to Real Betis and Deportivo La Coruña. New loan signing Harvey Elliott was available after completing his move from Liverpool.

The absences added to pressure around a Valencia side already struggling for results. A further defeat would leave the club in the relegation zone, according to the reports, while Barcelona arrived with three consecutive victories and 12 goals scored. Elliott’s availability offered Corberán one positive selection option, although the reports noted that the midfielder had lacked competitive football in recent months. The fixture therefore represented a demanding test of Valencia’s squad depth, with several regular options unavailable and Barcelona bringing strong early-season momentum to Mestalla.

Real Sociedad and Celta Vigo drew 0-0 on Thursday in the sixth round of La Liga, according to a results report published by See.news. Neither side found the net as the points were shared. The match formed part of a wider Spanish league programme reported on September 4, alongside the more prominent meeting between Real Betis and Real Madrid. The stalemate gave both clubs a point, but produced no goals or decisive incident to separate them over the course of the fixture.

The result represented a tightly balanced contest in the league schedule, with both teams unable to turn their efforts into a breakthrough. For Celta, the draw was notable in the context of Valencia’s earlier 0-0 result against them on the opening day, a match cited in reports ahead of Barcelona’s visit to Mestalla. Real Sociedad and Celta therefore left Thursday’s game with a share of the points, while the goalless scoreline kept the focus on the small margins that can define early-season league positions.

Barcelona were valued at $7.5 billion by Forbes, making them the world’s second-most valuable football club, according to a report relayed by Mundo Deportivo and published by Yahoo Sports Canada. The valuation represented a 33 per cent increase from the previous figure of $5.65 billion and moved Barcelona ahead of Manchester United, valued at $7.2 billion. Real Madrid remained top of the ranking at $9.5 billion. The report also said Barcelona were expected to announce record revenue approaching €1.1 billion for the 2025-26 financial year, after generating €994 million the previous season.

The figures provided a significant business backdrop for Barcelona’s sporting ambitions in La Liga. The club had completed a major summer recruitment programme involving Anthony Gordon, Karim Adeyemi, Rodri, João Cancelo and Gabriel Jesus, with the report presenting the spending as evidence that financial restrictions had eased. Forbes’ valuation was based on figures from the end of the 2024-25 season, meaning the increase reflected broader commercial and financial progress rather than only the latest transfer activity. Barcelona’s stronger balance sheet could give the club greater stability as it pursues domestic success.