Vinicius scores, Real Madrid still misses chance to close gap with Barcelona

(Football result) - Real Madrid missed a significant opportunity to narrow the gap with Barcelona when they were held to a 1-1 draw by Real Betis in a regrettable late stoppage-time finish.

After scoring the decisive goal in the win against Alaves earlier this week, Vinicius Junior continued to shine by breaking the deadlock against Betis at La Cartuja in less than 20 minutes.

From Federico Valverde's powerful long-range shot that forced goalkeeper Alvaro Valles to push the ball away, Vinicius arrived at the right moment to easily tap the ball into the empty net, scoring his 13th goal of this La Liga season.

The early goal stunned Betis, who were unable to generate significant pressure for most of the first half. However, just before the break, the home team unexpectedly surged strongly and shook Real Madrid's defense.

In the absence of Thibaut Courtois due to injury, goalkeeper Andriy Lunin was given the starting opportunity and he made several excellent saves. Notably, Lunin made two very good blocks against dangerous shots from Antony, helping Real Madrid preserve their lead before halftime.

Entering the second half, Real Madrid seemed to have sealed the match when Kylian Mbappe volleyed into Betis's net from Trent Alexander-Arnold's precise pass. However, the assistant referee quickly raised the flag for offside, and VAR later confirmed the French striker was behind the opponent's defensive line. Mbappe thus missed a chance to score in his 100th match for Los Blancos.

Betis then continued to fight back strongly. Cucho Hernandez, who came on from the bench, had a difficult volley, but Lunin still managed to react with fingertip saves to deny the goal. At the other end, Alvaro Valles also repeatedly denied opportunities from Mbappe and Valverde, keeping hope alive for the home team to earn a point.

Those efforts were finally rewarded in the fourth minute of stoppage time. Hector Bellerin seized the chance from a chaotic situation in the penalty area before firing a neat shot into the near corner, beating Lunin and securing a dramatic 1-1 equalizer for Betis.

This late goal also extended Real Madrid's streak of failing to keep a clean sheet in La Liga to 10 consecutive matches. With this result, Alvaro Arbeloa's side only temporarily reduced the gap with Barcelona to 8 points, but the league leaders still have the opportunity to widen the difference to 11 points if they win in this round. Meanwhile, Real Betis firmly consolidated their 5th position on the standings and created a 6-point gap with the chasing group behind.

Team information for Real Betis vs Real Madrid

• Real Betis:Diego Llorente, Ángel Ortiz, Junior Firpo injured.
• Real Madrid:Raúl Asencio, Thibaut Courtois, Rodrygo

Expected lineup for Real Betis vs Real Madrid

• Real Betis:Lopez (GK), Rodriguez, Llorente, Barta, Bellerin, Fidalgo, Amrabat, Fornals, Ezzalzouli, Hernandez, Antony.
• Real Madrid:Lunin (GK), Trent, Militao, Rudiger, Mendy, Brahim Diaz, Bellingham, Valverde, Guler, Mbappe, Vinicius.

Form & Head-to-head history

• Real Betis form:In the last 5 matches, Real Betis won 1, drew 3, lost 1. Scored 8 goals, conceded 7 goals.
• Real Madrid form:In the last 5 matches, Real Madrid won 1, drew 1, lost 3. Scored 8 goals, conceded 10 goals.
• Head-to-head history:In the last 5 matches, Real Betis won 1, drew 2, lost 2. Meanwhile, Real Madrid won 2, drew 2, lost 1.