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<\/p>\nThe final moments of Real Madrid\u2019s clash with Real Betis produced far more than a painful defeat for Jos\u00e9 Mourinho\u2019s side. They also created one of the most debated incidents of the match. With Madrid desperately searching for a late equaliser, Kylian Mbapp\u00e9 found himself at the centre of a penalty incident that initially appeared to contain all the elements needed for a possible retake.<\/p>\n
The situation became even more controversial after Betis goalkeeper \u00c1lvaro Valles saved Mbapp\u00e9\u2019s penalty and Marc Bartra immediately intervened to prevent Madrid from capitalising on the rebound. Television replays appeared to show the Betis defender moving into the penalty area as the kick was taken, prompting Real Madrid players to protest and raise the possibility that the penalty should have been retaken.<\/p>\n
The incident occurred deep into stoppage time after Natan brought down Vin\u00edcius J\u00fanior inside the penalty area. The referee awarded Real Madrid a penalty, leaving Mbapp\u00e9 with a huge opportunity to rescue his team from defeat after Troy Parrott had given Betis the lead.<\/p>\n
Mbapp\u00e9 stepped up to take the penalty, but his effort was not powerful enough to beat Valles. The Betis goalkeeper read the attempt correctly and made the save, before Bartra cleared the loose ball.<\/p>\n
That sequence immediately sparked the controversy. Replays appeared to show Bartra entering the area as Mbapp\u00e9 struck the ball, leading to questions over whether the penalty should have been taken again.<\/p>\n
However, the decisive detail was not simply whether Bartra\u2019s body was inside the penalty area. The key issue was the position of his feet at the exact moment Mbapp\u00e9 made contact with the ball.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
According to the interpretation applied by Spain\u2019s Technical Committee of Referees, a player is considered to have encroached during a penalty when one or both feet are inside the penalty area or touching its line at the moment the kick is taken.<\/p>\n
In Bartra\u2019s case, the defender was moving through the air, meaning that his feet were not making contact with the ground inside the penalty area when Mbapp\u00e9 struck the ball. As a result, the officials did not consider his movement an infringement that required the penalty to be retaken.<\/p>\n
That interpretation was also consistent with Bartra\u2019s own understanding of the situation. The Betis defender later indicated that he was aware of the specific rule and had previously discussed a similar situation with a referee. According to Bartra, if the player is effectively in the air and does not have a foot on the ground inside the area when the penalty is taken, the kick does not have to be repeated.<\/p>\n
\nThe controversy was ultimately decided by the position of Bartra\u2019s feet, rather than simply by the apparent position of his body.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
The decision meant that Real Madrid did not receive another opportunity from the penalty spot. Valles\u2019 save remained valid, Bartra\u2019s intervention stood, and Betis were able to protect their 1-0 advantage until the final whistle.<\/p>\n
The penalty was particularly significant because it represented Real Madrid\u2019s final realistic opportunity to equalise. Mbapp\u00e9 had already been denied several times during the match, including an effort that struck the crossbar, while Carlos Esp\u00ed also saw an impressive bicycle-kick goal ruled out for offside following a VAR review.<\/p>\n
Troy Parrott\u2019s goal in the 81st minute ultimately proved decisive. The Betis forward reacted quickly after Thibaut Courtois saved Nelson Deossa\u2019s header and fired the rebound into the net.<\/p>\n
The defeat ended Real Madrid\u2019s perfect start to the 2026-27 LaLiga season. Mourinho\u2019s team had won its first three league matches before suffering the 1-0 loss to Betis.<\/p>\n
For Mbapp\u00e9, the missed penalty became the defining image of a frustrating night. However, the controversy surrounding the incident was not caused by the penalty itself being wrongly awarded. Instead, the debate centred on whether Bartra had legally encroached before the kick.<\/p>\n
The answer from the referee and VAR was no. Although Bartra appeared to be inside the area, the crucial detail was that neither of his feet was touching the ground inside the penalty area at the precise moment Mbapp\u00e9 struck the ball.<\/p>\n
That small technical detail ultimately prevented a retake and allowed Real Betis to secure a 1-0 victory over Real Madrid.<\/p>\n<\/article>\n
\nThe Betis player who cleared the ball was inside the box BEFORE the penalty was taken.<\/p>\n
The referee has decided it will NOT be retaken \ud83d\ude02\ud83d\ude02\ud83d\ude02 pic.twitter.com\/AGMfA466Yw<\/a><\/p>\n
— Madrid Zone (@theMadridZone) September 4, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n