Real Madrid fall further behind Barcelona after stoppage-time heartbreak at Betis

Real Madrid suffered a late setback in their pursuit of the La Liga title as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Real Betis.

Hector Bellerin scored deep into stoppage time to deny them victory.

Madrid looked set to close the gap on leaders Barcelona after taking a first-half lead through Vinicius Junior.

The Brazilian opened the scoring in the 17th minute, reacting quickest to turn home from close range after Alvaro Valles had parried Federico Valverde’s powerful effort.

It was Vinicius’ 125th goal for the club, and gave Madrid early control in Seville.

Alvaro Arbeloa’s side dominated much of the opening period, with their pace and movement in attack causing consistent problems for the hosts.

Kylian Mbappe went close to doubling the lead before the break, while Betis were largely restricted to sporadic efforts.

However, the home side began to grow into the contest as the half wore on, forcing Andriy Lunin into a series of important saves to preserve Madrid’s advantage.

There was a shift in momentum after the break as Betis pushed higher and applied sustained pressure in search of an equaliser.

Madrid struggled to build on their lead and lacked the cutting edge required to put the game beyond reach.

Mbappe had a goal ruled out for offside early in the second period, while Vinicius missed a chance to extend the lead after cutting inside from the left.

Betis continued to press, sensing an opportunity against a Madrid side that had retreated deeper. The pressure told in the fourth minute of stoppage time.

A loose ball inside the penalty area fell to Bellerin, who reacted quickly to fire a low effort through a crowded box and into the net.

The goal sparked celebrations among the home supporters and capped a determined second-half display from Betis.

The result is another damaging slip for Madrid in the title race they were already behind in.

While the performance showed flashes of control and quality, the failure to convert dominance into three points could prove decisive.

With Barcelona still to play, Madrid’s hopes of reclaiming the title have taken another significant hit.