Three questions and three answers from Getafe 0-1 Real Madrid

Real Madrid struggled as they battled against an intense Getafe team to secure a 1-0 victory over the Azulones at the Coliseum Alfonso Pérez. The goal came from a long-range effort from Arda Güler in the first-half, but it was then backs against the wall for Real Madrid at times as José Bordalás’ team threatened until the death.

Three answers

1. Could Real Madrid avoid injuries against a physical Getafe side?

Getafe have the joint-highest number of average fouls per match in La Liga this season at 16.3, with a pretty impressive record of 91 yellow cards and five red cards this season to match. So, travelling there late on a Wednesday night 72 hours before a Clásico in the Copa del Rey final was not an ideal coincidence of the fixture list. Real Madrid avoided any contact injuries, but did lose two players, Eduardo Camavinga and David Alaba, to muscular injuries with Carlo Ancelotti claiming that it could be difficult for either player to be involved in the Copa del Rey final on Saturday. That would be a real blow, particularly in the case of Camavinga who was thought to be in contention to start in the left-back role in Seville with Ferland Mendy still not fully fit and Fran García not convincing the coach.

2. How would Endrick get on in his first league start?

Endrick may have shone in the Copa del Rey this season, but to this point he had played only 150 minutes of action in the league. Selected here in the line-up, this was the Brazilian teenager’s first ever start in La Liga. After registering a goal in his four-minute debut against Valladolid in August, and an assist four games later, to be involved in a goal every eight minutes by September, he has not been involved in a goal since. In Getafe, he was anonymous for much of the game, with only 13 touches in 64 minutes and recording only seven passes. He did, however, have two big chances, worth a combined 0.6 xG, and he missed them both. Ancelotti criticised him publicly after the game, saying, “he is young and must learn. He has to play as hard as possible, not play for the theatre. The drama club doesn’t exist in football”. Ouch.

3. Would 1-0 Real Madrid return?

Real Madrid hadn’t won a game 1-0 in La Liga since April 26th 2024, just short of a full calendar year, until they beat Alavés 1-0 earlier this month. Then they followed it up with a late 1-0 victory over Athletic Club. And here again, Real Madrid added another 1-0 win, their third in a row in league action. That run is the first time that the result has repeated itself so frequently since July 2020, in the post-Covid run of fixtures, and only the second time since Opta began their records 33 years ago. It reflects a side that Ancelotti himself described as “lacking effectiveness up top”, but also an improved defensive aspect. Here, unlike the two previous games which had a combined 0.71 xG conceded, that may have been down to Thibaut Courtois rather than the defence in front of him, but it is still the first time Real Madrid have recorded three consecutive clean sheets since November and December 2024, against Osasuna, Leganés and, again, Getafe.

Three questions

1. Did Real Madrid deserve to lose this match?

A total of 2.36 xG conceded, compared to 1.5 xG for Real Madrid, means that few Madridistas could have had any complaints had the end result gone the other way. Real Madrid conceded five big chances and a total of 20 shots. That’s the highest number of shots conceded since Villarreal recorded 23 shots in March. These weren’t just desperate and hopeful efforts from distance, but chances of real substance and Real Madrid have Thibaut Courtois to thank for keeping them in the game. Even as the title race is not yet officially over, it seems clear that this Real Madrid side is not competing to win the league title with performances like this one.

2. Why haven’t we seen more of Arda Güler?

One of a very short list of bright sparks was the performance of Arda Güler in midfield. The switch to a 4-3-3 enabled him to operate in an interior position, rather than the usual right wing role. He excelled there, not only looking much more confident, as reflected in his goal which was from a chance worth only 0.04 xG, but also in how he dictated play. Nobody on the field recorded more than his 68 passes in the game, despite that he came off with 12 minutes left on the clock. Post-match, Ancelotti reflected that, “his future lies more there than further up... to imagine him as a pivot, nowadays, may be crazy; but in the future... he can also play in that position”. It could be a story to keep a close eye on for the months ahead, whether the Italian is the man in the dugout or not.

3. How will this impact the line-up for the Copa del Rey final on Saturday?

This was a chance for some players to make their claim, with the likes of Güler, Fran García, David Alaba, Lucas Vázquez and Brahim Díaz all not expected to start unless they could put in a real claim. Sadly for Real Madrid, it may mean Alaba is no longer available. Better for Ancelotti is the selection headache provided by Güler’s performance and an also promising display from Brahim Díaz. He may not have set the world alight, but his three shots were among Real Madrid’s most threatening and accounted for almost half of Real Madrid’s shots on target, while also winning more fouls than anyone else. Ancelotti now has 72 hours to make his mind up on whether he’ll stick with his trusted players or twist to reward these impacts.

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