Real Betis 1-0 Real Madrid was the defining result of La Liga Matchday 4. Real Madrid suffered their first defeat of the season after Kylian Mbappé missed a penalty in the fourth minute of stoppage time — saved by Betis keeper Álvaro Valles — while Troy Parrott scored the 81st-minute winner, turning home a knockdown after Nelson Deossa’s header was parried by Thibaut Courtois. It marked a memorable first goal for Parrott since his summer move to the club, and ended Real Madrid’s unbeaten start under the returning José Mourinho.
Betis absorb pressure and punish Madrid
Betis’s route to victory was to stay compact, deny Madrid a clear route through, and wait for a moment to turn the game. That moment arrived when Deossa’s header forced a save Courtois couldn’t hold, and Parrott reacted fastest. Madrid pushed for an equalizer and won a stoppage-time penalty when Vinícius Júnior was fouled in the box — but Mbappé’s spot-kick was well saved, sealing Madrid’s first defeat since Mourinho’s return.
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La liga matchday 4: Barcelona’s five-goal statement in Valencia
Barcelona produced the round’s most emphatic result, winning 5-0 away at Valencia’s Mestalla — reportedly their final competitive visit there before Valencia’s move to a new stadium. Lamine Yamal opened the scoring in the 6th minute with a first-time flick, Fermín López doubled it in the 22nd, Raphinha added a third four minutes into the second half (his sixth goal in four league games — matching a feat only previously achieved twice, by Lionel Messi), Pedri made it four in the 79th, and Yamal completed his brace in the 84th. The win took Barcelona’s tally to 17 goals in four matches and opened a three-point gap at the top of the table following Madrid’s defeat.
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Athletic Bilbao overwhelm Atletico Madrid
Athletic Bilbao’s 3-0 victory over Atletico Madrid at San Mamés was Diego Simeone’s side’s first defeat of the season. Nico Williams headed in a deflected effort just 30 seconds into the second half, Robert Navarro doubled the lead two minutes later cutting inside from the left, and Oihan Sancet added a third on the stroke of full-time. Julián Álvarez was introduced from the bench in the 58th minute but couldn’t change the outcome, as Athletic secured back-to-back wins after losing their opening two matches of the season.
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The rest of Matchday 4
Alavés defeated Osasuna 5-2 in the round’s other seven-goal match. Espanyol drew 1-1 with Sevilla, while Getafe and Celta Vigo also finished 1-1. Rayo Vallecano beat Racing Santander 3-2, with Sergio Camello among the scorers. Villarreal lost 2-3 at home to Deportivo La Coruña, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scoring the winner in stoppage time to extend his run of scoring in every league game this season. Málaga and Levante played out a goalless draw.
Elche 2-3 Real Sociedad provided the round’s most dramatic finish. Job Ochieng opened the scoring in the 11th minute and turned provider for Yangel Herrera’s second in the 31st. Real Sociedad had Jon Martín sent off with roughly 26 minutes remaining, and Elche fought back through Thomas Lemar (67′) and Fernando Niño (74′) to level the match. But Sociedad, despite playing a man down, won it through a stunning 90th-minute strike from Luka Sučić, his second assist coming from Ochieng.
What Matchday 4 tells us
La Liga Matchday 4 produced four clear talking points. Betis delivered the shock result by defeating Real Madrid and surviving Mbappé’s late penalty miss. Barcelona made the strongest attacking statement with a 5-0 away win at Valencia, opening a three-point lead at the top. Athletic Bilbao underlined the scale of the challenge facing Atletico Madrid with a comprehensive 3-0 win. And Real Sociedad added the round’s most dramatic story, winning at Elche despite playing over a quarter of the match with 10 men.
