La Liga Daily Report - 2026-09-05

Real Betis ended Real Madrid’s perfect La Liga start with a 1-0 victory at La Cartuja on Friday. Substitute Troy Parrott scored the decisive goal in the 81st minute, reacting first after Thibaut Courtois had saved Nelson Deossa’s header. Madrid had created several opportunities, including Vinicius Junior’s first-half effort against the post, while Kylian Mbappe was denied by determined Betis defending. The visitors appeared to have one final chance to rescue a point when Natan brought down Vinicius in stoppage time, but Álvaro Valles saved Mbappe’s penalty to secure Betis’s memorable win.

The defeat was José Mourinho’s first since returning to Real Madrid and ended a run of three consecutive league victories. Madrid also had a Carlos Espí bicycle-kick equaliser ruled out for offside after a VAR review, adding to a frustrating night in front of goal. Mourinho said he could not explain the result despite believing his team had played well and dominated large parts of the match. For Betis, Parrott’s first goal for the club on his home debut provided an immediate return on the five-year deal that brought him from AZ Alkmaar and lifted confidence after beating one of the title favourites.

Athletic Club secured a striking 3-0 La Liga victory over Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid on Saturday, according to the match report carried by FOX Sports. Athletic scored all three goals in the second half, turning a contest that had been level at the interval into a decisive home win. The result followed Athletic’s 2-0 victory away to Celta Vigo and gave the Basque club successive league wins after losing their opening two matches. Atletico had entered the fixture unbeaten, making the scale of the defeat a significant setback early in the campaign.

The result strengthened Athletic’s momentum after a difficult start and provided a notable response in front of their home support. Atletico, meanwhile, suffered a heavy loss despite beginning the season without defeat, leaving Simeone’s side needing to recover quickly in the next round. Athletic’s ability to produce three second-half goals was the defining feature of the match, while the clean sheet gave the hosts a complete result against one of the league’s established contenders. The victory also made their earlier success at Celta look less like an isolated improvement and more like the beginning of a revival.

Barcelona manager Hansi Flick was hopeful Lamine Yamal could face Valencia on Sunday after the winger suffered a knock. Yamal did not train with his team-mates on Saturday, instead completing an individual session at the training ground. Flick said the teenager would travel with the squad to Mestalla, but that a decision would be made on whether he should rest or start. The coach added that Yamal had felt pain after taking a hit, although the player said he was feeling well after training separately. Barcelona were seeking to maintain their 100 per cent start to the league season.

Yamal had impressed in Barcelona’s 5-2 victory over Rayo Vallecano on Monday, scoring his first two goals of the campaign. His possible absence or reduced role would therefore represent a significant consideration for Flick as the champions attempt to extend their advantage after Real Madrid’s defeat at Betis. The manager’s comments suggested that Barcelona were treating the knock cautiously rather than ruling the winger out. Yamal’s involvement will depend on how he feels before kick-off, with Flick weighing immediate availability against the need to avoid aggravating the problem early in the season.

Real Madrid’s official television channel argued that Kylian Mbappe’s stoppage-time penalty against Real Betis should have been retaken. Álvaro Valles saved the spot-kick during Madrid’s 1-0 defeat at La Cartuja, but the club channel claimed a Betis defender had entered the penalty area before Mbappe struck the ball. It pointed to the player’s right foot being on the line before he moved further inside and also highlighted Héctor Bellerín’s position. The referee allowed play to continue, and the decision became a major talking point after Valles’s save preserved Betis’s lead.

The controversy followed another late decision that went against Madrid, with Carlos Espí’s bicycle-kick equaliser ruled out for offside after a VAR review. Madrid’s channel maintained that the penalty incident had directly influenced the outcome, while the referee treated the matter as one of interpretation. The dispute added another layer to a defeat already defined by missed chances and Mourinho’s claim that his team had done enough to win. Betis’s victory remained intact, but the penalty debate was likely to dominate discussion around the match alongside Mbappe’s miss and Valles’s decisive intervention.