Dani Carvajal celebrated his return after a long injury absence by scoring a direct shot that secured a 1-0 victory for Real Madrid over host Real Betis in La Liga. Carvajal redirected a cross from Karim Benzema with a direct shot into the net in the 61st minute during his first start since April, having missed most of last season and the European Championship due to injury.
Carvajal's goal came shortly after Betis squandered a chance to take the lead when the attacker Juanmi opted to pass instead of shooting after regaining possession from the visitors.
Betis nearly equalized in stoppage time, but Real Madrid's goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois blocked a low shot from Martin Montoya. Coach Carlo Ancelotti's team has now earned seven points from their first three matches, all played away, having won 4-1 against Alavés and drawn 3-3 with Levante.
