Marc Bartra explains how he disrupted Kylian Mbappe’s penalty as Real Betis beat Real Madrid

Marc Bartra said he carefully followed the rules on players entering the penalty area before helping Real Betis secure a dramatic 1-0 victory over Real Madrid in La Liga.

The Real Betis defender played a key role in the match’s decisive late moment, clearing the ball after the goalkeeper saved Kylian Mbappe’s penalty in the 90th minute plus five.

The result gave Real Betis all three points and ended Jose Mourinho’s unbeaten start to his second spell as Real Madrid manager in the league. The defeat came in the fourth round of the competition.

Bartra said he had taken advice from a friend who previously worked as a referee in Spain’s second division before the penalty was taken. His aim was to remain within the laws governing players’ positions during a spot-kick while still being close enough to react to the rebound.

“I asked a friend of mine who had previously worked as a referee in the Spanish second division, and he told me that I should not have one of my feet touching the ground inside the 18-yard box before the penalty was taken,” Bartra told Spanish broadcaster Movistar.

The defender said he had tried to judge the timing precisely, with only a tiny difference potentially changing the outcome.

“I tried to judge it as best I could. If Mbappe had taken the kick half a second earlier or later, the penalty would have been retaken,” he added.

Bartra said he had concentrated on keeping his foot outside the area while remaining ready to intervene if the ball came back into play.

“But I think that in the end, I tried to hold out as much as I could, keeping my foot from touching inside the area, and the plan worked in the end,” he said.

Real Betis had taken the lead through Troy Parrott, whose goal proved enough to decide the contest. Bartra’s clearance after the penalty save then helped preserve the advantage during the final stages.

Real Madrid remain second in the La Liga table on nine points despite the loss. Real Betis also have nine points and moved into third place.

The match’s late penalty incident became the main focus after Mbappe was denied from the spot, with Bartra’s positioning allowing him to challenge for the loose ball without, in his account, violating the restriction on entering the penalty area before the kick was struck.

The victory was particularly significant for Real Betis because it came against Real Madrid and stopped Mourinho from maintaining a perfect league record at the start of his return to the club.