Real Madrid’s struggles in the title race continued on Friday night as they dropped more valuable points, extending a frustrating run of form that could allow Barcelona to stretch their lead at the top of the table to as much as 11 points.
The match began on a positive note for Los Blancos, with Vinicius Jr. finding the back of the net in the 17th minute to give his side an early advantage.
That goal seemed to set the tone for a potentially comfortable night, but despite creating further chances, Real Madrid were unable to add a second goal to secure control of the game. Instead, they found themselves gradually pushed back as Real Betis grew into the match, especially after the halftime break.
Betis increased the pressure in the second half, forcing Madrid to defend deeper than they would have liked. Their persistence eventually paid off when Hector Bellerin scored to bring the hosts level, denying Madrid what would have been an important victory.
After the match, manager Alvaro Arbeloa did not hide his disappointment. Speaking to the media, he admitted that conceding late once again was difficult to accept, particularly because he felt his team had done enough to win.
He pointed out that his side created several opportunities that should have been converted and also highlighted a controversial moment in the first half, where he believed a clear penalty was not awarded. According to Arbeloa, such a decision could have effectively killed the game early and prevented the late drama.
The coach also voiced strong frustration over the refereeing, suggesting that key decisions went against his team. He specifically mentioned what he saw as a foul on Ferland Mendy in the build-up to Betis’ goal, insisting it was obvious and should have been called. Arbeloa criticized officials for what he described as a lack of understanding of the game, emphasizing that these kinds of mistakes have occurred repeatedly and are having a significant impact on results.
When asked about Kylian Mbappe, who was substituted late in the match, Arbeloa revealed that the forward experienced some discomfort. However, he could not provide a clear diagnosis, stating that the situation would be assessed further in the coming days.
There were also questions regarding Dani Ceballos’ absence from the squad. Arbeloa’s response hinted at internal decisions, as he stated that he selects players based on who he believes is most suitable, suggesting that Ceballos may currently be out of favour.
Finally, Arbeloa addressed his team’s recurring issue of conceding goals in the closing stages of matches.
He admitted that there is no clear explanation for why this keeps happening, acknowledging that if they had identified the cause, they would have already taken steps to fix it.
