Real Madrid faced a setback in their La Liga title aspirations after being held to a 1-1 draw by Real Betis. The draw means that FC Barcelona could extend their lead to 11 points at the top of the table with a win in their upcoming match.
The match saw Vinicius Jr scoring for Real Madrid in the 17th minute after Betis goalkeeper Alvaro Valles failed to clear a shot from Federico Valverde. Despite a strong start from Real Madrid, Betis fought back, with Andriy Lunin making crucial saves and Betis losing defender Marc Bartra to injury.
Kylian Mbappe had a goal disallowed for offside early in the second half, and Lunin continued to shine with important saves as Betis pressed forward. Valles redeemed himself with a crucial stop to deny Valverde, while Mbappe had to be substituted due to a suspected muscle issue.
Betis equalized deep into injury time through Hector Bellerin, leveling the game after Antony’s cross was not fully cleared by the Madrid defense. Real Madrid coach Arbeloa acknowledged the lack of luck in the closely contested match.
