Bellingham strikes again but Madrid held by Betis

In a captivating La Liga clash on Saturday, Real Madrid found themselves held to a 1-1 draw by Real Betis. The outcome propels Los Blancos one point clear at the top of the table, yet both Girona and Barcelona, in second and third place respectively, have the chance to surpass them when they face off on Sunday.

The home team, Betis, launched a strong offensive, creating several early scoring opportunities through Marc Roca and Ayoze Perez. However, it was the visitors who broke the deadlock seven minutes into the second half, courtesy of a Jude Bellingham strike. This marked Bellingham’s 16th goal for Real Madrid since his summer arrival from Borussia Dortmund.

Bellingham’s goal was the result of an exquisite team move, featuring a slick one-two pass with Brahim Diaz before slotting the ball into the net. Diaz, later on, had an opportunity to double Real’s lead but narrowly missed from a tight angle.

The home crowd’s momentary silence was shattered when Betis’ Aitor Ruibal unleashed a thunderous equalizer minutes later. As both teams sought a winning goal, the encounter intensified, with stellar goalkeeping and near misses. In injury time, an Isco header hitting the woodwork added to the drama, ultimately resulting in a 1-1 deadlock.

Played in front of a vocal crowd at Estadio Benito Villamarin, the draw is viewed as a missed opportunity for Real Madrid, who aimed to secure three points for a more comfortable position heading into the winter break. Instead, the title race remains wide open, and Real Betis, currently in 7th place, may feel they could have secured all three points to further their European spot aspirations.