Real Betis defeats Real Madrid 1-0 as Troy Parrott’s late strike ends perfect start to La Liga season

Real Madrid walked into Seville on September 4 with a flawless record and walked out with a reminder that La Liga doesn’t care about your winning streak. Troy Parrott’s goal in the 81st minute gave Real Betis a 1-0 victory, snapping Madrid’s perfect start to the 2026-27 season in front of a raucous home crowd at Estadio La Cartuja. The result is the kind of upset that makes league football endlessly entertaining. Madrid had collected nine points from their first three matches and looked every bit the title contenders. Betis, coming off a 5-2 hammering at the hands of Levante, looked like a team searching for answers. A first half of frustration for Madrid José Mourinho’s side dominated possession through the opening 45 minutes but couldn’t find a way past Betis’s organized backline. Betis sat deep and made Madrid work for every inch of space in the final third. The teams headed into halftime at 0-0, a scoreline that suited Betis far more than it suited a Madrid side accustomed to early goals in their opening fixtures. Parrott makes his mark The decisive moment came from an unlikely source. Troy Parrott, the Irish striker who joined Betis from AZ Alkmaar for a reported €20 million f...