Real Madrid’s Betis defeat gives Mourinho’s new project its first major test

Real Madrid’s 1-0 defeat by Real Betis was more than three points lost in the title race. It represented the first serious test of the character of Jose Mourinho’s project during his second spell in charge.

The result ended a perfect start in which Real Madrid had won all three of their opening matches. They dominated for long periods in Andalucia and created opportunities, but lacked the decisive touch in front of goal. Kylian Mbappe then missed a penalty in stoppage time, after Troy Parrott had scored Betis’ only goal in the 81st minute.

The central issue is therefore not simply that Real Madrid lost, but how they respond to their first setback.

Mourinho believed his side had produced a good performance, although football does not award points for possession or chances created. That makes the matches ahead more significant than the defeat by Betis itself.

There will be little time for Mourinho to regroup. Real Madrid host Inter Milan in their opening UEFA Champions League match on Tuesday, 8 September, before travelling to face Rayo Vallecano in La Liga on 12 September. They then visit Elche on 15 September, followed by a Madrid derby against Atletico Madrid at the Metropolitano on 20 September.

The defeat came at an especially difficult moment. The meeting with Inter is not an ordinary European fixture but a test against one of the continent’s leading clubs, with particular significance for Mourinho after he guided the Italian side to the UEFA Champions League title in 2010.

Real Madrid face four matches in 12 days, including a Champions League game and the derby, while Mourinho must also deal with a serious shortage of midfield options.

Arda Guler, Eduardo Camavinga and Bernardo Silva are unavailable because of suspensions carried over from last season. Aurelien Tchouameni is still recovering from injury and has yet to begin his campaign.

According to Mourinho, Federico Valverde is now almost the only available first-team midfielder fully ready to play. That could force the manager to adjust his system or use players in unfamiliar positions.

Jude Bellingham is one possible solution, although Mourinho prefers to deploy him behind the striker and close to the penalty area because of his scoring ability. The England international could return to midfield, with Brahim Diaz operating as the playmaker while Real Madrid retain their 4-2-3-1 formation.

Trent Alexander-Arnold is another option. Mourinho has previously used him in roles that allow him to move into central areas, and could switch to a 4-3-3 with Trent, Valverde and Bellingham forming the midfield.

History offers Mourinho a reason not to overreact. His first defeat during his initial spell at Real Madrid came in devastating fashion against Barcelona, who won 5-0 at Camp Nou on 29 November 2010. It was easy to view that result as the beginning of a crisis, but the response was emphatic.

Real Madrid won their next five matches in succession. They beat Valencia 2-0, defeated Auxerre 4-0 in the Champions League, overcame Real Zaragoza 3-1, edged past Sevilla 1-0 and then thrashed Levante 8-0 in the Copa del Rey. Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo both scored hat-tricks in that final match.

It would be premature to judge Mourinho’s new project after one defeat, even if the loss at Real Betis was painful and arrived at an inconvenient time. Real Madrid have not lost the foundations of their project in Andalucia, nor have their perfect opening weeks suddenly become meaningless.

But the result was a first real warning that the season will not be as straightforward as the opening results suggested. The character of this new Real Madrid will be revealed by how they respond when circumstances become difficult, rather than only by the number of victories they record when everything goes according to plan.

The coming fixtures will therefore provide answers. Can Mourinho turn the Betis defeat into a lesson? Can he cover the absences without upsetting the team’s balance? And can Mbappe, Vinicius Junior and the rest of Real Madrid’s leading players take responsibility for the response?

If Real Madrid emerge from the demanding run of games with victories, the night in Andalucia may come to be viewed as a brief interruption in a long season, or even the moment when the team demonstrated its resilience.

However, if the mistakes continue, the problems against strong opponents persist and the project appears fragile under its first serious pressure, the defeat by Betis will mean more than a single stumble. It could become the first indication that the rebuilding process is incomplete and that Mourinho’s name alone is not enough to restore the authority of Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu.

At this stage, it is impossible to know whether the setback was merely a stumble or the beginning of a decline. One point is clear: the real test of Mourinho’s project began after the final whistle against Betis, not before it.