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Three talking points ahead of Real Madrid vs Getafe | La Liga MD 26
Real Madrid take on Getafe tonight in La Liga as part of Matchday 26 of the competition, and do so under pressure as Barcelona have taken a provisional four-point lead once more.
The Merengues downed Benfica midweek in the UEFA Champions League, securing their place in the Round of 16 and staying alive in the competition despite a scare.
Now, they must turn their focus back to La Liga where they recently gave away the lead to Hansi Flick’s Barcelona. They face Getafe at home, but Jose Bordalas’ men are anything but a walk in the park.
The last time Real Madrid and Getafe faced off, Los Blancos managed to score late in the game only after the hosts went a man down, having struggled to get past the low defensive block. The same struggle is expected later tonight.
Madrid Universal brings you three talking points ahead of Real Madrid vs Getafe.
Serious uncertainties
Real Madrid simply cannot have a period of the season without injury setbacks, and just when it seemed like key players were returning, the spree of setbacks began again.
Jude Bellingham and Eder Militao are still out with long-term injuries with Kylian Mbappe joining them on the sidelines for the team’s next two games at least. Also ruled out are Dani Ceballos and Raul Asencio with word coming in that the list could be longer.
If having five big names out was not enough, Dean Huijsen only completed a part of the training with the team yesterday, and continues to be a doubt for the game against Getafe. A decision will only be taken today.
Further, Eduardo Camavinga is suffering from a serious toothache and his participation in the game is also in doubt. As with Huijsen, a decision on his participation will be taken today.
At this point, Real Madrid could well head into the game with as many as seven players out through physical problems, leaving the squad depleted across the park.
There is enough depth of field in a starting XI, but neither will it have the impact the usual XI has nor the comfort of depth on the bench in case of any adverse game situation.
Rodrygo must step up
Kylian Mbappe’s absence has amped up the pressure on Real Madrid’s other forwards to start delivering and Vinicius Jr. has taken up a part of that responsibility in recent games.
Since the beginning of February, he has scored six goals in five games. His boost in form has helped Real Madrid tide over a period of injury and dip in form for Mbappe, and the men in white will hope that he can continue his magic tomorrow.
Receiving support from Rodrygo, however, will go a long way in easing the pressure off Vinicius, and with the Brazilian now back from injury and suspension, one can expect him to play a bigger part.
Since Alvaro Arbeloa took charge after the Spanish Super Cup, Rodrygo only played 41 minutes against Benfica in the league phase of the UEFA Champions Leagued 13 minutes against Rayo Vallecano.
He has, thus, not yet shown the new coach what he is capable of and will look to leave a statement performance against Getafe, claiming ownership over the unclaimed starting position on the right flank.
All eyes on the veteran defensive core
The biggest blow in terms of injuries for Real Madrid ahead of tonight’s game is in defence, and the team have just two options to pick from given the likely situation.
With Asencio and Militao definitively ruled out, and Huijsen a doubt, David Alaba and Antonio Rudiger sit as Real Madrid’s defensive options on the night.
Huijsen is not ruled out, but the fact that he only completed part of the group training session reflects that he is still not at his 100% and that he will likely not start against Getafe.
Alaba and Rudiger, in that sense, would be the only natural defensive pairing left for the manager to choose. However, the veteran duo have not started together regularly in a long time.
Both veterans have their future hanging in doubt and will likely leave the club by June, and it will be interesting to see how they perform starting as a pair against Getafe.
One would naturally expect a relatively aged duo to lack the pace needed to stop Getafe’s counter-attacks – something the visitors thrive on given their low block.
Rudiger and Alaba have both delivered decent individual performances in recent weeks, and the question revolves completely around how they will complement each other playing as the team’s only options.
Their performance, needless to say, will play a massive part in deciding the result of the game.
Real Madrid made a mess of their game against Elche last night, and it is clear that the men in white have several flaws with no answers at the moment.
From being 2-0 up, the men in white bottled their lead and threw the game into jeopardy by permitting Elche to score two goals. The result, as many saw it, was set to end in a draw.
With some persistent attacks in the dying minutes, however, Real Madrid managed to build pressure on Elche and eventually scored one more goal at the death to take home the three points.
Needless to say, however, the negatives from the game far outweigh the positive news of the three points.
Madrid Universal brings you three takeaways from Elche 2-3 Real Madrid.
Another second-half collapse
After Real Madrid’s win over Rayo Vallecano at the weekend, Jose Mourinho stressed the fact that Real Madrid actually played only one half and that the fatigue began showing after the break.
On the night, the opposition began to enjoy more dominance and create chances after half-time as they outran and outpressed Los Blancos to good effect.
Last night was no different, and the second half went completely awry.
The men in white entered the half-time break cruising with a 2-0 lead and significant dominance over the proceedings. They had a massive xG, with Elche barely creating any chances of note.
After the break, however, the entire dynamic of the game changed as Real Madrid took a step back and handed the impetus to the hosts. Pressing high and attacking without fear, Elche dominated Real Madrid for most of the second half and had a staggering 60% of possession.
They scored twice – in the 71st and 83rd minutes – and equalised Real Madrid on the night. Given the visitors’ shambolic display, it was deserved for Elche.
At this point, the constant second-half collapses and fatigue struggles of the team after just 45 minutes of action must worry Jose Mourinho immensely. Heading into a derby away from home, Real Madrid have to do much better.
The away curse continues
While Real Madrid’s form at home has been imperious this season, their form away from home has been equally shocking.
They began their season with a last-minute win over Espanyol, and their second league game of the season on the road came against Real Betis and ended in defeat.
Heading into their third away game last night, there was an element of worry about how they would perform, and the trend continued once more.
Real Madrid did well to take the lead on the night, but they made the second half a massive war and far more difficult than it should have been.
At this point, serious questions have to be raised about Real Madrid’s form on the road and their inability to keep games under control when playing in away stadiums.
Heading forward in the season, Los Blancos have some massive away games coming up against far more difficult opposition. The Madrid derby is up next, and the team’s form is nothing promising heading into that fixture.
Carlos Espi saves the day… again!
Real Madrid are currently on 15 points after six games in the league, but Carlos Espi has directly contributed to a massive chunk of that.
If not for the new Spanish striker’s ability to come up clutch in big moments, Real Madrid could well have been on just 11 points at this stage in the season, and the four points he has added are absolutely crucial.
Against Espanyol, it was Espi who scored a stoppage-time winner to hand Real Madrid all three points after a complicated match. Last night, he repeated the same heroics once more.
With the team staring at a draw, the new signing was at the right place at the right time to bury Kylian Mbappe’s assist in stoppage time, handing Real Madrid all three points at the death.
He may not have played a large part on the night, but his cameo was again powerful and it is clear that he elevates the team’s attack and provides new solutions in front of goal. Espi has already proven his talent, and his ability to perform under pressure is what makes him special.
