Mbappe penalty miss: The fine line behind Real Madrid’s failed appeal

Real Madrid’s request for Kylian Mbappe’s late penalty to be retaken was rejected because Marc Bartra had not actually touched the ground inside the area when the kick was taken, despite appearing to have entered the box before the shot.

The decision caused considerable debate after the closing stages of Real Madrid’s match against Real Betis. Bartra appeared to move into the penalty area before Mbappe struck the spot-kick, and later played a part in the action by helping clear the ball for a corner after Real Betis goalkeeper Alvaro Valles had saved the first attempt.

Some Real Madrid supporters argued that the penalty should have been retaken. Their case was based on Bartra being the first player to enter the area and on his subsequent intervention, which prevented Mbappe from reaching the rebound.

However, footage of the incident highlights a detail that significantly weakened that argument. According to Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo, Bartra did move towards the penalty area before Mbappe took the kick, but he had jumped in an attempt to reach the ball.

At the precise moment Mbappe made contact with the penalty, Bartra was still airborne. His feet had not yet landed on the playing surface inside the area.

That distinction was central to the decision. Simply being above the penalty area while jumping does not necessarily mean a player has committed an offence by entering the area at the moment the kick is taken. Bartra’s position in the air therefore carried less weight than it might initially have appeared to.

The defender did subsequently become involved in the next phase of play. After Valles saved Mbappe’s penalty, Bartra intervened and helped send the ball behind for a corner. That made the incident appear more significant to those calling for a second attempt, because his involvement meant Mbappe was unable to follow up the rebound himself.

Even so, Bartra had not established himself inside the penalty area with both feet when the French forward took the kick. That small but decisive point provided a logical explanation for referee Hernandez Hernandez’s refusal to order a retake.

The penalty was one of Real Madrid’s final opportunities to rescue the match. Mbappe missed in the fifth minute of added time, with Valles producing the save to preserve Real Betis’ 1-0 lead.

The result gave Real Madrid their first defeat of the season. What initially looked like a possible infringement by Bartra therefore remained a disputed moment rather than grounds for a second penalty, with his airborne position proving crucial to the final decision.