In a tightly contested La Liga match at the Mestalla on August 24, 2026, Real Betis secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Valencia, with the game's only goal coming in the 83rd minute. The decisive play was initiated by new signing Troy Parrott, making his Betis debut, whose intelligent dummy run created space for Pablo García to volley home from Fran García's cross. The first half was a quiet affair, with both teams struggling to break the deadlock and the best chance coming from a double save by Betis keeper Álvaro Vallés to deny Ryunosuke Sato and Hugo Duro. The second half saw Betis push forward with greater intent, and their persistence paid off with the late winner, securing their second consecutive win to start the La Liga campaign