The La Liga sensor ball canceled Espi's equalizing goal because it was offside from the beginning of the phase

Spain New ball technology determines offside from the beginning of the ball, so striker Carlos Espi's tilt of the lamp table at the end of Real's loss to Betis in round 4 of La Liga was not recognized.

Espi replaced Federico Valverde in the 82nd minute and seemed to have scored the equalizer just five minutes later. From Vinicius's cross on the left wing, the Spanish striker scored a brilliant goal against Alvaro Valles and then ran away to celebrate the 1-1 equalizer.

However, when the ball was returned to the middle of the field, referee Alejandro Hernandez did not allow the match to continue due to receiving a notice from the VAR room to check the situation. The review results showed that Espi was in an offside position right from the start of the attack. Therefore, the Real striker's goal was not recognized.

The decision was made thanks to one of the new technologies applied in La Liga this season. It is a chip integrated into the ball, called a "sensor ball", that helps determine offside more accurately than the semi-automatic offside system (SAOT) used previously.

This system connects directly to the VAR room, allowing to accurately determine the moment the player touches the ball before falling into an offside position. Thanks to that, technology can detect offside situations just a few centimeters apart and contribute to canceling Real's goal.

New technology also intervened in the first half, in a corner situation at the last minute. Initially, referee Hernandez gave Betis a corner because he thought the home team goalkeeper had blocked Huijsen's shot. However, slow-motion images and data from sensors in the ball showed that the ball hit the crossbar. The referee then changed his decision and gave Betis a goal kick.

According to the new technology mechanism, the sensor can confirm almost immediately whether the ball has collided or not, thereby helping the referee make more accurate decisions.

In this match, Real dominated and created many opportunities, but Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius, Jude Bellingham or Dean Huijsen all squandered them. The Royal team had to pay the price when Troy Parrott conceded a goal in the 81st minute and ended their winning streak in La Liga this season.

According to Managing Madrid, Huijsen and Guler are two rare bright spots for Real. In particular, Huijsen played strongly and fiercely in defense and showed the ability to pass the ball across the lines, helping the home team control the game even when Eduardo Camavinga and Federico Valverde had difficulty in the midfield. Meanwhile, Guler created seven scoring opportunities despite leaving the field in the 64th minute.

On the contrary, Managing Madrid pointed out five problems for Real. Mbappe was the most disappointing when he missed three good opportunities, including the penalty kick at the end of the match. Vinicius was also significantly limited when facing Hector Bellerin. Although he still won a penalty and created opportunities for Mbappe in the first half, his dribbling ability was not as effective as expected.

Real's midfield faced many difficulties for the first time against quality opponents, especially Federico Valverde's position in the two-midfield system. Denzel Dumfries played well in defense but did not contribute enough to the attack, leaving the competition with Trent Alexander-Arnold still open. Club record signing Yan Diomande also caused disappointment when he failed to create a breakthrough after entering the field.

The defeat against Betis does not completely reflect the match, because Real created enough opportunities to win. However, squandering great opportunities and revealing limitations in the midfield shows that Mourinho's team has not yet achieved the necessary stability. "The Special One" will have to quickly fix the problems, when Real will meet Inter Milan in the opening round of the Champions League classification round on September 8.