Real Madrid made unwanted history on Wednesday evening in the Champions League. The 2-0 defeat to Liverpool was the first time the club had lost three matches in the group stage of the competition in their history.
By Ross Kilvington
They currently occupy 24th place in the convoluted Champions League table having accrued just six points from 15. But, despite the erratic form in Europe, Madrid do head into the clash against Getafe with a decent domestic record, as you might expect.
A victory will get Los Blancos back on track, but can their opponents take advantage of their midweek failure?
The injury situation
Madrid lacked something in the final third at Anfield, missing two big chances while finishing the match with an xG of 1.24.
It was evident that Carlo Ancelotti was missing Rodrygo and Vinícius Júnior, who could both miss the clash against Getafe. And potentially the next 2-3 weeks also. Rodrigo has, though, reportedly returned to full training.
Los Blancos’s injury list just keeps growing. Dani Carvajal and David Alaba are both recovering from Cruciate ligament injuries, while Éder Militão suffered a serious injury at the start of November, keeping him out for the rest of the season.
The treatment room isn’t as busy at Getafe, with the club having much better luck with regards to injuries this season.
Real will aim to continue their fine form against Getafe
Since the start of the 2022/23 campaign, Madrid have won all four league meetings with Getafe, scoring six times and conceding just once.
Indeed, you have to go back to January 2022 for Getafe’s last victory against Ancelotti’s men. On that occasion, Madrid were by far the better side, recording 15 shots and having 74% possession throughout the tie, but a goal from Enes Ünal (now at Bournemouth) after just nine minutes condemned the side to an unlikely defeat.
The last time Getafe won at the Bernabéu? August 2012, when a certain José Mourinho was in charge. Given the Jekyll and Hyde nature of Madrid’s performances lately, this 12-year wait could, in theory, end on Sunday.
Key players
Kylian Mbappé will again be under the spotlight. The Frenchman hasn’t quite settled in as many expected at the Bernabéu, scoring nine goals across 18 matches, a far cry from his scoring exploits at PSG.
Against Liverpool, he missed a penalty, created zero chances and succeeded with just 50% of his dribble attempts. Ancelotti will be hoping the former PSG star can put this poor showing behind him, hopefully by adding to his seven LaLiga goals already this term.
Jude Bellingham scored in the home clash against Getafe last season and given he has netted in the previous two league matches for the club, it looks as though the Englishman is once again hitting his best form.
After a poor start, Getafe have now won their previous two matches heading into the encounter with big city rivals Madrid and they could prove difficult to break down.
Their 11 goals conceded in LaLiga this season means they actually have the joint second-best defensive record in the top flight.
Getafe’s attacking threat will come from centre-forward Bertuğ Yıldırım and midfielder Mauro Arambarri, who have scored three and four goals respectively this season.
Prediction
Although Getafe are hovering just above the relegation zone, this will be no easy task for Madrid, especially considering the away side’s impressive defensive record.
Despite this, Ancelotti will be determined to bounce back from a third straight Champions League defeat.
Los Blancos will win, but it could be closer than many anticipate. Final score: Real Madrid 2-0 Getafe.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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