Aleksandr Grigoryan questions Real Madrid’s sharpness after Betis loss

Russian football expert Aleksandr Grigoryan said Real Madrid did not deserve to lose against Real Betis but criticised the team for appearing too laboured in their 1-0 defeat in Seville.

Grigoryan was speaking after the fourth round of La Liga, in which Jose Mourinho’s side suffered a narrow loss to Real Betis. The result was Real Madrid’s first defeat in the four-match sequence referred to in the report, leaving them with nine points and second place in the league table.

“Real did not deserve to lose, but the team is sluggish,” Grigoryan said.

His assessment focused on the contrast between the result and his view of Real Madrid’s performance. Although the Madrid side’s display, in his opinion, did not warrant defeat, he believed the team lacked the necessary fluency and intensity. That perceived sluggishness was central to his reaction to the match.

Real Betis secured victory by a single goal, with the final score showing a narrow 1-0 margin. Real Madrid therefore left Seville without a point, despite remaining in the leading positions of the La Liga standings after four matches.

The defeat leaves Mourinho’s team on nine points. They are second in the table, meaning the result has not taken them out of contention at this early stage of the campaign. However, the loss denied Real Madrid the opportunity to add to their points total and maintain a perfect record across the four fixtures mentioned.

Grigoryan’s comments present the match as one in which the outcome did not fully reflect what he believed Real Madrid deserved. At the same time, his criticism suggested that the team’s overall performance lacked the dynamism expected from a side competing near the top of La Liga.

The defeat was settled by the smallest possible margin, but its significance in the table is clear: Real Madrid remain second with nine points, while Real Betis claimed all three points in Seville. The match formed part of the fourth round of the Spanish top flight.

Mourinho’s side will now have to respond after being beaten 1-0, while Grigoryan’s analysis places emphasis not only on the result but also on the manner of the performance. His conclusion was that Real Madrid were not worthy of losing, yet were too slow and laboured to produce the level of play required to avoid defeat.