The defeat at Real Betis's stadium disrupted some of Real Madrid's plans at the start of the Spanish league.
Coach Jose Mourinho had wanted to reach the season's first international break with as many points as possible, a perfect 21 out of 21. That would build confidence, help him mould the team and pile pressure on Barcelona.
The stumble against Real Betis dealt a clear blow to that aim. Suddenly, after just four rounds, Real Madrid sat three points behind leaders Barcelona.
According to AS newspaper, Mourinho has not backed away from the chase. Quite the opposite. Collecting as many points as possible before the international break matters more than ever, and that is exactly the message he has passed on to his players.
Nine points are up for grabs before the break. Mourinho knows full well he must take the lot to keep his Madrid side in the hunt.
Before the Betis match, whose difficulty he had already flagged, Mourinho set out his view on the Spanish league: "Here there is constant pressure to always win. In France or Germany, the contenders know they will be champions every year. But not here. And this pressure carries great risk."
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