La Liga: Real Madrid Stunned by Getafe at Bernabéu, Trail Barcelona by Four Points in Title Race

Getafe’s Martin Satriano scored the only goal of the clash as Real Madrid lost their second game in a row in La Liga. It was the first time since 2019 that the 36-time champions lost back-to-back in the league. Los Blancos were leading the points table by two points after matchday 24, but have now slumped to four points behind arch-rivals FC Barcelona.

Their title run suffered a few more blows during the loss against Getafe as key players earned suspensions. Franco Mastantuono was shown a straight red card at the fag end of the game for dissent. Additionally, Dean Huijsen and Alvaro Carreras, too, were shown their fifth yellow cards of the season, meaning they would be suspended for the clash against Celta Vigo.

Real Madrid players struggle against Getafe

Having been put behind in the 39th minute, the frustration on Real Madrid players was evident in the second half. Vinicius Jr’s performance in the last 45 minutes dropped significantly. However, it was the defensive trio of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Antonio Rudiger, and Alvaro Carreras, which appeared to be toothless for the majority of the game. Rudiger missed a great chance to equalise in the second half. Trent, barring a goal-line clearance, could not make a significant contribution. Carreras played a decent second fiddle to Vinicius Jr., but struggled defensively.

Did Los Blancos miss Kylian Mbappe?

Playing in front of their home crowd at the Santiago Bernabeu, Alvaro Arbeloa’s players certainly missed their goal-scoring machine, Kylian Mbappe. Mbappe leads the race for scoring the most goals in the league. In spite of missing crucial clashes, the Frenchman has netted 23 goals in the league. 

What’s next for Real Madrid?

Thanks to their defeat against Getafe, Real Madrid now face a line of crucial games across all competitions. On Friday, they would be making the trip to Balaidos, Vigo, to take on the sixth-placed Celta Vigo in the league. Winning this clash would be vital if Los Blancos wish to remain in the title race. 

In the middle of next week, they will resume their UEFA Champions League campaign, taking on Manchester City in the Round of 16. Their next game in La Liga would be against a somewhat easier opponent in Elche. Currently placed 17th in the league, Elche would be aiming to take points from the 36-time champions to get further away from the relegation zone. Madrid would then make the trip to Manchester to face City for the return leg in the Round of 16, before taking on Atletico Madrid in their last game of the month. 

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