Real Madrid's La Liga title hopes hanging by a thread as ex-Arsenal full-back Hector Bellerin slams home stoppage-time equaliser for Real Betis

Los Blancos appeared to be back in the title hunt after Vinicius Jr capitalised on a goalkeeping error to open the scoring in the 17th minute. Despite their dominance, Kylian Mbappe saw a goal disallowed for offside, and several high-profile chances were wasted by Jude Bellingham and the frontline. The missed opportunities proved fatal when former Arsenal man Bellerin pounced on defensive confusion in the dying seconds to smash home a low, decisive leveller.

The alarming defensive statistics haunting Arbeloa's tenure have become the primary talking point following another collapsed lead. Madrid have now failed to keep a clean sheet in their last 10 league outings, marking their worst defensive run in a single season since the 2003-04 campaign under Carlos Queiroz. This persistent lack of solidity at the back has resulted in the club dropping critical points during the most decisive phase of the championship race.

This stalemate marks Madrid's fifth draw of the season, a recurring issue that has effectively handed the title initiative to Hansi Flick’s rampant Barcelona. Having already been eliminated from the Champions League, Los Blancos are staring at only their fifth trophyless season of the 21st century. On a night of collective disappointment, the only individual milestone belonged to Mbappe, who became the 10th French player to reach 100 appearances for the club. The forward was, however, withdraw with around 10 minutes remaining due to a suspected hamstring problem.

The title appears all but out of reach for Arbeloa's side, as Barcelona can extend their lead to 11 points if they beat Getafe on Saturday. Madrid must now navigate consecutive away fixtures, travelling to Espanyol next week before a season-defining El Clasico trip to Barcelona that could mathematically end their championship hopes. Facing a stuttering run of form, Los Blancos are now entirely reliant on a major collapse from Flick's leaders to avoid a barren end to the campaign.