Real Madrid’s Carlos Espi sees bicycle kick cancelled in Real Betis defeat

Real Madrid were denied a dramatic late equaliser when Carlos Espi’s spectacular overhead kick was ruled out by VAR during their 1-0 defeat by Real Betis at La Cartuja on Friday evening.

Espi had been introduced in the 82nd minute, replacing Federico Valverde, but needed less than five minutes to make what appeared to be an immediate impact. The young forward met Vinicius Junior’s cross with an acrobatic overhead kick and sent the ball into the net in the 87th minute.

The goal sparked celebrations among the visiting players, who believed they had drawn level at 1-1. However, the referee was advised to review the incident after VAR identified an offside position at the beginning of Real Madrid’s attacking move. The goal was subsequently disallowed, leaving Real Madrid without the reward their late pressure appeared to have earned.

The decision was particularly painful for Carlo Ancelotti’s side because Real Betis had taken the lead against the run of play six minutes earlier. Troy Parrott put the home side in front in the 81st minute, despite Real Madrid having controlled most of the match.

Real Madrid continued to search for an equaliser and were handed another opportunity in the closing stages when they were awarded a penalty. France forward Kylian Mbappe stepped up, but he was unable to convert, allowing Real Betis to protect their narrow advantage.

The result meant Real Madrid failed to take even a point from their visit to the Andalusian side, despite their dominance for much of the contest and the late chances that followed. Real Betis held on for a 1-0 victory in the fourth round of La Liga.

Espi’s disallowed effort was the clearest moment of late drama. His arrival from the bench had briefly appeared to change the contest, with the attacker producing an exceptional finish from Vinicius Junior’s delivery. Instead, the intervention from VAR ensured that the goal did not count and Real Madrid’s recovery remained incomplete.

A social media post accompanying footage of the attempt described Espi as Real Madrid’s hero and praised the finish as “Quel geste FANTASTIQUE !”, while directing viewers to follow the match live on DAZN.

The match and its key incidents were also promoted for further discussion on the Kooora forums. Two other football-related items listed alongside the report concerned Abdulkareem as another example of Neymar’s continuing shadow at Barcelona, and Barcelona’s efforts to sign Gabriel Jesus after nine months of insistence and evasive negotiations.