Football
Real Madrid crashed to a 2-1 defeat on the road against Real Betis as they fell to a second away defeat in La Liga in three games, surrendering an initial lead from Brahim Díaz to concede through a Johnny Cardoso header before half-time and an Isco penalty early in the second period as he converted after Antonio Rüdiger felled Jesús Rodríguez inside the Real Madrid box.
Three answers
1. Who would start in defence?
Rotations in recent weeks, combined with the return to form of Raúl Asencio and the return to fitness of David Alaba, have meant that the backline has been anything but settled for Real Madrid in recent weeks. Alaba was chosen for a second start since his return from injury, pairing up with Antonio Rüdiger as he also returns from a strain, with Ferland Mendy and Lucas Vázquez occupying the full-back roles. It got off to a good start for Mendy, registering his first assist since 2022 as he cut the ball back for Brahim Díaz, but that was the highlight of the backline. Neither Alaba nor Rüdiger looked assured or comfortable, and even when Aurélien Tchouameni dropped into the defence on the hour mark when Alaba went off, there was a lack of confidence in the defensive unit. Betis’ movement and rapid counter-attacks were enough to unnerve this shaky defence.
2. Would Real Madrid miss Dani Ceballos?
There was no shortage of midfield options with Jude Bellingham suspended and Fede Valverde ruled out through injury, but the absence which perhaps most concerned Madridistas was that of former Bético Dani Ceballos. The midfielder has brought composure to the midfield, displacing Eduardo Camavinga and proving himself to be the closest that the squad has to a successor to Toni Kroos. After being ruled out for a month after picking up a muscle injury against Real Sociedad, Ancelotti resorted for a 4-4-2 shape with a midfield pairing of Aurélien Tchouameni and Luka Modrić. Without Ceballos, there seemed to be no control over the tempo in midfield, no ‘pausa’ and the end result was a chaotic display in which Real Madrid struggled to assert themselves and dictate how the match would evolve.
3. Would any of the second string be given a chance after impressing against Real Sociedad?
The decision to rotate in San Sebastián in the Copa del Rey semi-final first leg against Real Sociedad on Wednesday allowed a number of reserve options to shine, especially in the case of Endrick and Andriy Lunin, but none of them were rewarded with a starting chance here. It’s true, though, that those performances did seem to count for something. The decision to withdraw Kylian Mbappé at 2-1 down on 72 minutes was a brave one from Carlo Ancelotti, surely influenced by the fact that Mbappé missed two days of training after a tooth extraction this week, but also by the impressive display of the Brazilian forward who replaced him off the bench. Endrick would only get two shots off, both wayward and wide of the target from the edge of the box, but he was operating in the final stages of Antonio Rüdiger as a makeshift target man.
Three questions
1. Three penalties in the last four La Liga games… but was there any debating this one?
If anything, Alejandro Hernández Hernández did Real Madrid a favour by not sending off Antonio Rüdiger, which would have been a hard decision to argue strongly against. The referee deemed that Thibaut Courtois could have arrived to dispute the ball, meaning that Rüdiger was only shown a yellow card, but he was perhaps fortunate to only see yellow. Again, Betis had a strong call for another penalty when Tchouameni brought down Ricardo Rodríguez on the edge of the box and seemed to clash his knee into the Betis man’s ankle. This run of penalties conceded is highly unusual for Real Madrid, but, at least in this case, it indicates more about the defensive instability that is being seen lately than about any refereeing decisions or bias.
2. Is Real Madrid’s away form in the league a concern?
This was the third consecutive away game in La Liga in which Real Madrid have failed to win. While Betis are probably the toughest of the three opponents, most would have expected nine points from visits to Espanyol, Osasuna and Betis, with the Verdiblancos the only one of the trio to be placed in the top half. This is the longest run of league games away from home without a win since May 2023, but in that case the run still saw Real Madrid take three points as they drew all three games and the league had already been tied up by Barcelona. More dropped points here at the Villamarín, only their second defeat in their last 10 visits to the stadium, means that they could end the weekend in third should Atlético Madrid beat Athletic Club late on Saturday night.
3. Did Isco time travel?
Watching this game was painful in some ways for Madridistas because it meant watching Isco absolutely dominate the game from a number 10 role. That is nothing new to fans of Los Blancos, but seeing it in 2025 and against their team isn’t something they’re used to. The 32-year-old midfielder left Real Madrid three years ago and has struggled for consistency at times, but this was one of his star individual performances since he left the Bernabéu, since playing for Sevilla and now their rivals Real Betis. A goal converting from the penalty spot, an assist from a pinpoint corner-kick, and a grand total of six chances created, was exactly the kind of magic that made many Real Madrid fans fall in love with Isco while he donned a white jersey a decade ago. Watching the midfield magician turn it on and put on a show is a joyful experience as a fan or a neutral, though less so when it’s against your own side.
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