Watching their La Liga title dreams take a real blow on Saturday evening, Real Madrid suffered a collapse in Andalusia as they fell to a 2-1 loss at the hands of Real Betis.
Opening the scoring after just 10 minuets as Brahim Diaz slotted home from close range, Los Blancos appeared to be cruising their way back to the top of the La Liga table.
However, although Carlo Ancelotti’s camp might have dominated large spells throughout the opening half hour, the Spanish giants were left stunned as Johnny Cardoso dragged Saturday’s hosts level.
While Madrid might have been desperate to lay down a title marker outside of the capital, the defending champions were left heartbroken by one of their former superstars.
After spending nine years at the Bernabeu, Isco converted from the penalty spot in the 54th-minute and sent the Estadio Benito Villamarin into overdrive as Los Verdiblancos claimed an iconic scalp.
On an evening when Real Madrid missed out on the chance to briefly dethrone Barcelona and reclaim their spot at the top of the table, we have taken a look at the main talking points from Andalusia.
Madrid miss out on a golden opportunity
Landing a routine 2-0 win when they welcomed Betis to the Bernabeu for their reverse La Liga showdown on September 1st and unbeaten in all of their previous nine meetings against Saturday’s hosts, Los Blancos were smelling a potential opportunity here.
However, despite extending on their Champions League adventure last month as they secured a thumping 6-3 aggregate win against Manchester City, Ancelotti’s side came crashing back down to earth in Andalusia.
Suffering what was a real collapse outside of the capital, this was Madrid’s fourth La Liga defeat of the season and they have now dropped down to third in the standings.
Getting February underway with a shock 1-0 loss away at relegation scrappers Espanyol, the former AC Milan boss will once again have some increasing pressure on his shoulders.
It should also be highlighted, the defending Spanish champions have recorded just a single point from any of their last three La Liga appearances away from the Bernabeu.
Betis strengthen their European charge
While Real Betis might have shown some worrying issues when returning from Spain’s festive break, Saturday’s hosts have certainly turned a real corner over the past month.
Extending on their Europa Conference League adventure on February 20th as they secured a 3-1 aggregate victory against Belgium outfit Gent, Manuel Pellegrini’s men find the mood in their camp at a red-hot high.
Enjoying what has become a real purple patch and collecting a heavyweight scalp in Andalusia, the one-time Manchester City boss has seen his squad win each of their previous three consecutive La Liga appearances by an aggregate score of 7-2.
Likewise, winning four of their previous five matchups across all competitions, Betis have skyrocketed their way back into the European spots.
Turning their attention back to European duties on Thursday evening, Pellegrini’s side will be desperate to collect a first-leg advantage when they meet Guimaraes on home soil.
Defensive issues continue to haunt Ancelotti
Along with registering just a sole point from any of their last three La Liga showdown outside the Spanish capital, Real Madrid have also shown some extended defensive inconsistencies.
Suffering a collapse on Saturday evening and watching their title dreams take a blow, Ancelotti’s side know the importance of finding some much-needed stability at the back.
Despite storming their way past Manchester City last month, Los Blancos have recorded just a pair of clean sheets from any of their previous nine appearances across all competitions.
Suffering Super Cup heartbreak at the hands of arch-rivals Barcelona on January 12th as they fell to an infamous 5-2 defeat, Madrid have also notched just a single La Liga clean sheet on their travels since the start of December.
Match Report
Real Betis: Adrian, Sabaly, Bartra, Llorente, Rodriguez, Cardoso, Altimira, Rodriguez, Isco, Antony, Hernandez
Subs: Bakambu, Natan, Avila, Ruibal
Real Madrid: Courtois, Vazquez, Rudiger, Alaba, Mendy, Tchouameni, Modric, Diaz, Rodrygo, Mbappe, Vinicius Junior
Subs: Endrick, Guler, Camavinga, Garcia
Goals: Real Betis: Cardoso (34’), Isco (54’ P) – Real Madrid: Diaz (10’)
Yellow Cards: Real Betis: Isco, Altimira, Avila – Real Madrid: Modric, Vinicius Junior, Rudiger, Alaba
Red Cards: N/A
Referee: Alejandro Jose Hernandez Hernandez
