Key Takeaways
- Héctor Bellerín struck in the fourth added minute to earn Betis a 1-1 draw.
- Vinícius Júnior’s first-half tap-in had put Real Madrid seven points behind Barcelona.
- The result means Barça can open an 11-point lead with only five matches left if they beat Getafe on Saturday.
Real Madrid’s slim hopes of catching Barcelona all but vanished in Seville on Friday night after a dramatic late goal from former Barça defender Héctor Bellerín.
Vinícius Júnior gave the visitors the lead in the 17th minute, sliding in after goalkeeper Álvaro Valles spilled Federico Valverde’s long-range drive. The goal, Vinícius’ 125th for the club, appeared to set Madrid on course to trim the gap at the top to six points.
Madrid pushed for a second: Jude Bellingham saw a close-range effort saved, and debutant centre-back Dean Huijsen headed wide. Yet Betis, chasing a Champions League place, kept pressing. Andriy Lunin denied Antony with a flying stop to preserve the lead—until stoppage time.
In the 94th minute Madrid failed to clear a loose ball inside their box. Bellerín, on loan from Sporting Lisbon, darted in and lashed a low shot past Lunin to spark wild celebrations at Benito Villamarín.
The draw leaves Madrid on 74 points, and Barcelona can stretch that cushion to 11 when they host Getafe less than 24 hours later. Kylian Mbappé added to Madrid’s worries when he limped off late on, while both teams escaped possible handball penalties in a tense second half.
