Kylian Mbappe missed his fifth penalty for Real Madrid in a loss to Real Betis, inviting comparisons to Cristiano Ronaldo. Kylian Mbappe missed his fifth penalty for Real Madrid since arriving at the club, failing to convert from the spot in stoppage time as Real Betis handed Los Blancos their first defeat of the LaLiga season on Friday. Betis goalkeeper Alvaro Valles guessed correctly and saved Mbappe’s effort in the 90+3rd minute, sealing a 1-0 win built on Troy Parrott’s 81st-minute header, after Real Madrid also had a Carlos Espi equalizer ruled out by VAR in the 87th minute. It’s the latest in a growing list of missed spot kicks for the Frenchman since joining Real Madrid, following earlier misses against Liverpool and Athletic Club during the 2024-25 season, another against Barcelona in last season’s first Clasico, and one more in a matchday loss to Real Sociedad, though he converted the rebound on that occasion. The struggles from the spot inevitably invite comparisons to Cristiano Ronaldo, the club’s all-time top scorer and long regarded as one of the most reliable penalty takers in the sport. Across nine seasons at the Santiago Bernabeu, Ronaldo missed 13 penalties, roughly matching Mbappe’s current tally in a fraction of the time and attempts. 🚨🚨 KYLIAN MBAPPE MISSES THE OPPORTUNITY TO EQUALIZE FOR REAL MADRID! ❌pic.twitter.com/ob8HaYHDFI— Tekkers Foot (@tekkersfoot) September 4, 2026 The difference lies largely in volume: Ronaldo scored around 79 penalties during his Real Madrid tenure, meaning his misses came against a much larger sample size than Mbappe has faced so far. Mbappe, for his part, has already converted 19 penalties since joining the club in 2024, according to Transfermarkt. Mbappe joins Ronaldo on unwanted list of penalty misses Mbappe is now the fifth player in Real Madrid’s history to miss a penalty in the closing minutes of a LaLiga match with the score tied or the team trailing by a single goal, joining Cristiano Ronaldo on a list first compiled by MisterChip on X (formerly Twitter). The Portuguese forward’s miss came in 2006 against Valencia, when he stepped up late in the match with the score level and failed to convert, a moment that until now stood as the most recent entry on the list before Saturday’s game against Betis. The rest of the group is completed by Alfredo Di Stéfano, who missed twice, along with Paul Breitner and Raul.
Franco Mastantuono's own experience at the club has provided an important backdrop, with Mourinho taking a measured approach to Diomande as he begins adapting to the demands of Spanish soccer. Yan Diomande’s arrival at Real Madrid was expected to generate enormous excitement, but the teenage forward has endured a surprisingly quiet start to life under Jose Mourinho. Franco Mastantuono’s own experience at the club has provided an important backdrop, with Mourinho taking a measured approach to Diomande as he begins adapting to the demands of Spanish soccer. The Ivorian arrived from Leipzig as Real Madrid’s most expensive signing in history, with a guaranteed $145 million fee that could increase further through bonuses. Yet after the opening four La Liga matches, Diomande has been given only limited opportunities, prompting questions about why Mourinho has been reluctant to throw him straight into the starting lineup. According to Transfermarkt and Diario AS, Diomande played 25 minutes against Espanyol, six against Real Sociedad and 26 against Malaga, giving him just 57 minutes across Madrid‘s opening three league matches. Following Madrid’s 1-0 defeat to Real Betis on Friday, his overall tally had risen to only 83 minutes in the first four games. For a player carrying such a massive transfer fee, those numbers might appear surprising, but Mourinho has repeatedly stressed that the teenager’s development should be handled patiently. Yan Diomande of Real Madrid looks on Diomande is only 19 and has made an extraordinary rise over the past two years. After previously playing for Leganes B, he established himself at Leipzig and featured in 33 of 34 Bundesliga matches last season, starting 28 and producing 12 goals and eight assists. Mourinho explains his cautious approach Mourinho addressed Diomande’s situation after the victory over Málaga, making it clear that the transfer fee will not dictate how quickly the youngster is introduced: “He must take it step by step. He is working hard and well, he is open and humble, wants to learn, listens to his teammates, and will develop.” The Portuguese coach also acknowledged the enormous price attached to the youngster while insisting that it should not change his thinking. “I cannot look at the amount of €120 or €130 million… How much did we pay? I need to look at a player coming from a high-level season at RB Leipzig,” Mourinho said, via Diario AS. José Mourinho: “Yan Diomande calma, tiene que ir poco a poco. Quiere aprender, mejorar y VA A CRECER. Yo no puedo mirar cuánto hemos pagado, no se ni cuánto fue. Calma. Take it easy”Paciencia con Yan… 💎 pic.twitter.com/anNTO4feUP— MT2 (@madrid_total2) August 30, 2026 Why Mourinho does not want another Mastantuono situation The reason behind Mourinho’s patience is now clearer: the Real Madrid manager wants to avoid repeating what happened with Franco Mastantuono by exposing another young signing to excessive pressure too quickly. Mastantuono may be loaned this year According to Fabrizio Romano, Mourinho is deliberately protecting Diomande from the expectations surrounding his record-breaking transfer. Diario AS has likewise reported that the coach is taking everything step by step, allowing the teenager to adapt before pushing him toward a regular starting role. The approach also gives Mourinho a way to maintain balance within his squad. Arda Guler and Brahim Diaz impressed during pre-season and have earned their opportunities, meaning immediately displacing established players for a $145million arrival could create unnecessary pressure both on Diomande and inside the dressing room.
The Portuguese midfielder has quickly become an important part of Madrid’s squad since arriving this summer, making his place among the substitutes one of the talking points before kick-off. Bernardo Silva is among the notable absentees from Real Madrid’s starting lineup against Real Betis, with Jose Mourinho making several changes for Friday’s La Liga trip to Seville. The Portuguese midfielder has quickly become an important part of Madrid’s squad since arriving this summer, making his place among the substitutes one of the talking points before kick-off. Real Madrid enters the match looking to maintain its perfect start to the 2026-27 campaign. Mourinho’s side had collected nine points from its opening three games, scoring 10 goals while conceding only twice, but the trip to Betis represented a considerably tougher test. Betis has traditionally made life difficult for Madrid at home, having avoided defeat in each of the previous four meetings between the sides in Seville. Los Blancos’ last away victory over the Analusians came in August 2021, meaning Mourinho had a significant unwanted streak to end. Manuel Pellegrini’s side also arrived with something to prove after suffering a surprising 5-2 defeat against Levante. Before that setback, Betis had opened the season with consecutive 1-0 victories over Real Sociedad and Valencia and remained one of the stronger teams outside La Liga’s traditional giants. DateReal Madrid’s OpponentCompetitionResultAug. 30, 2026MalagaLa LigaWin (4-0)Aug. 26, 2026Real SociedadLa LigaWin (4-1)Aug. 22, 2026EspanyolLa LigaWin (2-1) Real Madrid, meanwhile, had built considerable momentum. After narrowly beating Espanyol 2-1 away from home, it defeated Real Sociedad 4-1 before putting four past newly promoted Malaga. DateReal Betis’ OpponentCompetitionResultAug. 29, 2026LevanteLa LigaLoss (2-5)Aug. 25, 2026ValenciaLa LigaWin (1-0)Aug. 21, 2026Real SociedadLa LigaWin (1-0) Why Bernardo Silva is not starting against Betis The Madrid manager had plenty of selection decisions to make, particularly with the Champions League opener against Inter approaching next week. In fact, the expected lineup had suggested Bernardo Silva could feature from the start, but the final team sheet delivered a different outcome. However, the reason is primarily tactical, with Mourinho choosing Eduardo Camavinga and Federico Valverde as his midfield pairing for the trip to La Cartuja. Arda Guler starts on the right side of the attacking unit, while Bellingham continues in his familiar advanced role behind Mbappe. Bernardo Silva of Real Madrid controls the ball during the preseason friendly at Groupama Arena. (David Balogh/Getty Images) Silva therefore begins the match on the bench, despite being one of Madrid’s most experienced midfield options. The decision represents another example of Mourinho rotating his new signing as he continues to establish the right balance in his midfield. The Portuguese midfielder joined Real Madrid from Manchester City on a free transfer in June 2026, signing a contract through 2028. His versatility means Mourinho can deploy him as a deeper midfielder, No. 8, No. 10 or in wider positions, giving the coach plenty of options even when Silva does not start. Silva still has major role to play Silva’s position in the squad should not be viewed as a sign that Mourinho has lost faith in him. The 32-year-old arrived after nine seasons at Manchester City, bringing enormous experience and a winning mentality to a Madrid team undergoing significant changes. Mourinho has already shown that he is willing to rotate his midfield options rather than rely on the same XI every week. With La Liga and the Champions League beginning to overlap, keeping players fresh could become increasingly important. That makes Silva an especially valuable option from the bench. His technical quality and ability to operate in multiple positions give Mourinho a player capable of changing the rhythm of a match, particularly if Betis ma
The WSL season kicks off tonight and the Guardian’s women’s football writer Suzanne Wrack is here now answering your questions – from what to expect from London City Lionesses after their signing spree to whether Manchester City can go back to back.Ask a question: log in or sign up here.Weekender73 asks: Daughter’s favourite player: Ellie Carpenter. Mine: Mary Fowler. Who is right?Suzanne: Both. Who am I to say who an individual’s favourite player should be? It’s personal, and mine would probably be different - no I’m not saying who, probably because I’m not totally sure! They’re both top players, Ellie Carpenter has looked rampant in Chelsea’s two games against Real Sociedad in the last two weeks and both looked excellent last season when they featured. Hopefully Mary Fowler has an injury-free season back at her best following her recovery from her ACL injury.Suzanne: This is what I think is really exciting this season. Each year, while you haven’t necessarily been able to predict exactly which of Arsenal, City or Chelsea will win the title, you could predict that the only points they would drop would be against each other, at least 99% of the time. This season, I think the likelihood of those teams dropping points to some of those in the chasing pack on a more frequent basis is much higher.We saw Brighton, Tottenham, London City Lionesses, Aston Villa, Liverpool and Manchester United all take points off the top three across the course of last season and I think that trend will continue. How the top three handle that and how those challenging for the ‘best of the rest’ mantle capitalise is going to be super interesting. Continue reading...
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