I Don’t Know Why Real Betis Defeated Real Madrid, Mourinho Admits

José Mourinho admitted he could not explain Real Madrid’s 1-0 defeat to Real Betis on Friday, September 4, despite believing his side dominated the La Liga encounter at La Cartuja.

The result ended Madrid’s perfect start under Mourinho, who had guided the Spanish giants to three consecutive victories before suffering their first defeat of the season.

Madrid controlled much of the match and created several chances, but Betis stayed in the game before finding the breakthrough nine minutes from full-time. Troy Parrott scored in the 81st minute after Thibaut Courtois saved Nelson Deossa’s header, with the striker reacting quickest to the rebound to put Betis ahead.

Madrid pushed for an equaliser and had a late opportunity to rescue a point when Vinicius Junior was fouled inside the penalty area. However, Kylian Mbappe failed to convert from the spot as Betis goalkeeper Alvaro Valles saved his penalty to preserve the hosts’ lead.

“Sometimes you lose and don’t know why or how to explain it,” Mourinho said after the match.

He added: “The team played a great match. Sometimes you lose and don’t know why or how to explain it. We were very dominant, the center-backs were imperial and controlled absolutely everything.

“A lot of offensive play and many goal-scoring opportunities. If the match ends in a draw, we leave frustrated because we did more, so imagine how we feel with the loss. The team was solid throughout. Betis had some counterattacks, which is normal.”

Mourinho insisted Madrid deserved more from the match but acknowledged that Betis made the most of their opportunity.

“The match was Madrid’s. Betis, who played for the draw, hit the jackpot,” he added.

The Portuguese manager said he would review the match before reaching a final assessment but admitted he could not identify the reason for the defeat from the touchline.

“I might change my opinion after watching the match tomorrow, but from the bench today, I don’t know why we lost,” he said.

Mourinho also defended his players, praising their attitude and effort throughout the encounter.

“Everyone gave their all. We clearly deserved to win, but deserving doesn’t give you points,” he added.

The defeat leaves Real Madrid and Real Betis level on nine points after four matches.