Dean Huijsen Shines in Real Madrid's Loss at Betis

Dean Huijsen was Real Madrid's one consistent performer as they lost 1-0 at Real Betis, and José Mourinho went further at the post-match press conference, calling his central-defensive pairing of Huijsen and Ibrahima Konaté "imperial".

By all accounts the numbers back Mourinho up. Kylian Mbappé missed a penalty that proved decisive, but the rest of the side did not play badly, and the back line least of all. Huijsen shut down Juan "Cucho" Hernández, cut off his supply, and held his own in a running battle with Antony. He also went forward, forcing a save from the goalkeeper in the 11th minute and heading against the woodwork later on.

The 20-year-old, signed from Bournemouth for €50m, has started every league match Madrid have played this season, one of only three players alongside Thibaut Courtois and Mbappé to do so. Mourinho worked with him before, at Roma, and the coach's reading is that the defender is only now delivering the level that price tag implied, after an uneven first season in Spain.

Huijsen wears the number four David Alaba handed down, a shirt he associates with Sergio Ramos and Fernando Hierro. He has said his aim is simple: to give everything, in training and in matches alike.

None of it prevented defeat. Troy Parrott's late strike and a stoppage-time penalty save by Alvaro Valles from Mbappé gave Betis a 1-0 win at La Cartuja, ending Mourinho's unbeaten start in LaLiga. If Huijsen keeps producing performances of that calibre, Mourinho's central pairing may become the platform he builds the rest of the rebuild around, even as the finishing in front of goal remains the problem to solve.