Real Madrid will be hoping to keep up the pace with La Liga leaders Atletico Madrid when they face off against Getafe on Matchday 33 this weekend.
Reigning La Liga champions Real Madrid will be aiming to keep up the pressure on leaders and rivals Atletico Madrid when they travel to Coliseum Alfonso Perez to take on Getafe on Sunday night in the 2020/21 La Liga.
Real Madrid have been on a brilliant ten-game unbeaten run in La Liga that has seen them move to within just one point of leaders Atletico, following a hugely critical 2-1 win over Barcelona in El Clasico last weekend. That was followed by a hard-earned draw against Liverpool which ensured their progression to the UEFA Champions League semi-finals.
And, Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane will be hoping that his team are able to continue in the same vein of form, as they could potentially go to the top of the table on Sunday if Atletico Madrid drop points against Eibar earlier in the day.
Getafe, meanwhile, are 15th in La Liga and are very much in the relegation muddle as they are just four points clear of 18th-placed Elche. Jose Bordalas’ men are without a win in their last five games, most recently losing 1-0 to Cadiz, although they did manage to hold Atletico Madrid to a goalless draw during this run. A positive result will be necessary for the hosts as they look to pull further away from the drop zone.
The reverse fixture saw Real Madrid pick up a 2-0 win over Getafe, courtesy of second-half goals from Karim Benzema and Ferland Mendy. Ahead of their latest meeting on Sunday night, The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams.
Team News & Tactics
Getafe
¡Buenos días azulones! ☀
El equipo sigue trabajando de cara al enfrentamiento contra el @realmadrid de este domingo ⚽#VamosGeta pic.twitter.com/sz3ZXfnBwD
— Getafe C.F. (@GetafeCF) April 16, 2021
Heading into the game, Getafe manager Jose Bordalas will be without the services of Erick Cabaco and Cucho Hernandez due to injuries. Enes Unal has recovered from coronavirus and should be available after missing the last two games. Sofian Chakla is also back into contention having recovered from an injury and served his suspension.
Getafe have played in a 4-2-3-1 formation in the last couple of games but Bordalas might switch back to the 4-4-2 setup to take advantage of the patched-up Real Madrid backline on Sunday.
David Soria will man the goal for the home team, shielded by a back four comprising of Damian Suarez, Chakla, Djene Dakonam and Mathias Olivera, all of whom will stay tight and compact when off the ball and look to release the attackers with long balls when in possession.
Mauro Arambarri and Nemanja Maksimovic should form the central midfield partnership and look to negate the influence of their Real Madrid counterparts, Toni Kroos and Luka Modric.
Allan Nyom should get the nod on the right flank in order to provide more defensive security against the threat of the onrushing Marcelo while Marc Cucurella should slot in on the left side and try to hit in crosses for the strikers. The likes of Carles Alena and Real Madrid loanee Takefusa Kubo are alternatives if the manager wants more fluidity and creativity.
Up top, joint top-scorer Jaime Mata is a certainty to start while the returning Unal should slot in alongside him and look to harry the Real Madrid defence with their power and physicality.
Probable Lineup: Soria; Suarez, Chakla, Djene, Olivera; Nyom, Arambarri, Maksimovic, Cucurella; Unal, Mata
Real Madrid
Real Madrid’s roster issues just don’t seem to be letting up. While Sergio Ramos and Lucas Vazquez remain sidelined with injuries, Raphael Varane is yet to recover from coronavirus. In addition, both Dani Carvajal and Eden Hazard are not ready to return to the squad either. On top of that, Ferland Mendy has picked up an injury while both Casemiro and Nacho are suspended, leaving Zinedine Zidane with bare bones at his disposal.
?✅ Our squad for the match ? @GetafeCF!#GetafeRealMadrid pic.twitter.com/XUjEnqiG1O
— Real Madrid C.F. ???? (@realmadriden) April 17, 2021
Indeed, the manager has picked just 13 outfield players for the trip to Getafe. With no Carvajal, Vazquez or Mendy, Alvaro Odriozola and Marcelo become certain starters in the full-back slots while Eder Militao will slot in as the centre-back alongside youngster Victor Chust, who is set to make his first-ever La Liga start. Thibaut Courtois is the obvious pick in goal.
With no Casemiro, Federico Valverde should return to his midfield role after slotting in at right-back in midweek against Liverpool. Given the amount of injuries and squad issues, the onus will be on the experienced duo of Luka Modric and Toni Kroos to make sure that Real Madrid do not suffer any mishap by offering the control required in the middle of the park.
Marco Asensio and Vinicius Junior ought to start out wide once again but Karim Benzema could be set for a place on the bench as he has not completely recovered from the challenge of James Milner in midweek. Instead, Mariano Diaz could get the nod as the centre-forward for Real Madrid on Sunday.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Courtois; Odriozola, Militao, Chust, Marcelo; Modric, Valverde, Kroos; Asensio, Diaz, Vinicius
Key Stats
- Real Madrid have not lost any of their last ten La Liga away games (W6 D4).
- Getafe have suffered more defeats (23) and conceded more goals (73) against Real Madrid than versus any other team in La Liga.
- Real Madrid have won 14 of their last 15 matches against Getafe in all competitions. During this run they have scored at least two goals in 13 of the 15 matches.
- Getafe have failed to win 11 of their last 12 matches in La Liga.
- Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema has scored in each of his last seven La Liga games (nine goals in total).
Player to Watch
Eder Militao
⚪️ What a week Éder Militão (23) has had. Fantastic over both legs in #UCL quarter-finals and also in El Clásico. The Brazilian has stepped up in the absence of Ramos and Varane! ? pic.twitter.com/dH5zyV3c8W
— Soccer Manager Games (@SoccerManager) April 14, 2021
From being out of favour, the Brazilian finds himself back at the heart of the Real Madrid defence as they suffer from an injury crisis. Having been thrust into the thick of things due to the unavailability of Sergio Ramos and Raphael Varane, Militao, despite having played sparingly this term, has managed to make instant impact, helping the team to four wins in his last four appearances, conceding just twice and keeping two clean sheets.
On Sunday, though, he will be in for a stern test up against a Getafe attack that can make life difficult for a defender. What makes it even more of a challenge for the Brazilian is the fact that he will have to marshal the backline and guide his young defensive partner in Victor Chust. How he fares against the likes of Jaime Mata and Enes Unal could end up having a major influence on the outcome of the game.
Prediction
Getafe 1-2 Real Madrid
Real Madrid have been hit hard by injuries this term, but time and again they have shown great resilience to bounce back from the most difficult of circumstances. Getafe, despite their recent run of poor form, will be no pushovers and Jose Bordalas will look to make the most of a depleted Merengues’ backline and should be able to find the net even though they have been a bit goal-shy of late.
However, Marco Asensio and Vinicius Junior have been in good touch of late. And even if Karim Benzema does not start, he has enough quality to make a difference coming on from the bench if needed. And, that is why The Hard Tackle is predicting Zinedine Zidane’s to eke out a narrow, hard-fought win against the Azulones.
