Real Madrid have tasted defeat for the first time this season. José Mourinho's side fell to Real Betis at "La Cartuja" after just four matches, in a game that revealed far more than a simple slip in the standings.
Chances came and went for the Whites, including a Kylian Mbappé penalty missed in stoppage time. Yet the night left question marks hanging over Mourinho's choices and his handling of his stars, chief among them Vinícius Júnior.
Mourinho arrived at the Bernabeu vowing to impose discipline and restore solidity to the dressing room. Against Betis, though, he looked closer to the coaches who came before him. He kept Vinícius on the pitch despite a limited display, then hauled off Arda Güler, one of the team's best performers, after the Turk picked up a yellow card.
For most of the match, Vinícius offered little. He struggled against Bellerín and failed to punish the openings that fell his way. His impact only arrived in the closing minutes, when he created the disallowed chance for Asensio and won the penalty Mbappé missed.
The Brazilian's crisis stretches beyond this single game. Vinícius has played the full 90 minutes in three of the four matches this season, coming off only in the dying moments against Real Sociedad with Real Madrid 4-1 up. He has a goal and two assists to his name, yet his level remains a long way from the picture supporters are used to seeing, especially in one-on-one duels.
Mbappé fared no better. He completed the whole match and squandered clear chances, including that late penalty.
Four goals in La Liga read well, but every one has come at the Santiago Bernabéu. Away from home, his impact still falls short of expectations.
Adding to the doubts were Mourinho's calls on his stars. He took off Güler after a yellow card yet kept Vinícius on the pitch, despite the Brazilian having picked up a caution of his own.
The Portuguese justified the decision with the fear of Güler being sent off, insisting he viewed the Turk's situation as loaded with risk.
In the post-match press conference, Mourinho did not hold back. He branded his players "naive", arguing they had failed to handle some of the challenges and fouls thrown at them.
He also defended the performance, insisting he could find no clear reason for the defeat and that Real Madrid had played well both collectively and individually.
But the loss opened the door to a bigger question. Has Mourinho truly changed the rules of the dressing room, or are Real Madrid's stars still imposing their will on his decisions? Güler trudged off while Vinícius stayed to the final whistle, reviving the very row that raged last season.
Real Madrid lost. Mourinho now faces the first real test of his authority, and Vinícius remains the "elephant" impossible to ignore inside the white dressing room.