Third-placed Real Madrid are all set to host relegation-threatened Getafe as they look to return to winning ways in the league.
Getafe will hit the road to square up against Real Madrid as they look to climb out of the drop zone. The home team have not been at their best in the league of late, losing last time out while slipping from second place to third. Meanwhile, the visitors managed to end their winless runs last time out with a hard-fought 1-0 win and will look to continue the good work as they hope to avoid relegation.
Real Madrid head into this encounter on the back of a 1-1 draw against Manchester City in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final. Despite being out of the title race, Real Madrid will look to secure a double this season after winning the Copa del Rey last week.
However, their main focus will be on the upcoming second-leg clash with Manchester City. Real Madrid have not been in great form recently, having lost four of their last eight games in the Spanish top flight. They lost to Real Sociedad in their previous league match and will look to bounce back against Getafe.
Meanwhile, Getafe are fighting for survival as they sit 18th in the table, level on points with 17th-placed Valencia. They secured a morale-boosting 1-0 win over Celta Vigo in their last match. But they have only won two of their 16 away league matches this season. And, they will face a tough challenge against Real Madrid, who have the second-best home record in the division.
The relegation battle is heating up, and Getafe’s position remains precarious with only two points separating them from 14th-placed Almeria. They have only been relegated from the top flight once since 2004 and will be hoping to avoid the drop this season.
In the reverse fixture, Real Madrid managed to win 1-0. While they did grabbed all three-points, they weren’t at their best. And, Los Blancos will be hoping for a better outing this time out. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at this fixture and tries to predict the tactics the two teams could use.
Team News & Tactics
Real Madrid
Los Blancos’ only injury concern was Ferland Mendy. And the good news is he is back in training and is expected to feature in this encounter. Meanwhile, Dani Carvajal is out of this fixture on the back of the red card that he received against Real Sociedad.
👔 @MrAncelotti: "A competitive, fresh team full of energy will play against @GetafeCF."#RealMadridGetafe pic.twitter.com/gZic0qvgH3
— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) May 12, 2023
Expect Carlo Ancelotti to make wholesale changes to the XI that took the field against Manchester City in the first leg. However, the formation will once again be 4-3-3, and Thibaut Courtois will take charge in goal.
Lucas Vazquez and Alvaro Odriozola are expected to be the full-backs. And, Mendy might make an appearance off the bench. Jesus Vallejo and Nacho should start as the centre-backs. Aurrlien Tchouameni will start as the holding midfielder and he will have the support of Dani Ceballos and Sergio Arribas.
Eden Hazard and Marco Asensio will start out wide as the wingers. Meanwhile, Mariano Diaz might get a rare start as their number nine.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Courtois; Vazquez, Vallejo, Nacho, Odriozola; Arribas, Tchouameni, Ceballos; Asensio, Mariano, Hazard
Getafe
The visitors will be without Mauro Arambarri and Gonzalo Villar due to injury. Meanwhile, Enes Unal and Damian Suarez are suspended for this fixture after picking up yellow cards in their last outing.
🗣 Bordalás: "El equipo está unido y comprometido"#VamosGeta | #RealMadridGetafe pic.twitter.com/xChlwPBYeZ
— Getafe C.F. (@GetafeCF) May 12, 2023
Jose Bordalas could start with the 4-3-3 formation, where David Soria will be in goal. Meanwhile, Fabrizio Angileri and Gaston Alvarez should be the full-backs. Djene Dakonam and Stefan Mitrovic will start in the heart of the defence.
Angel Algobia, Juan Iglesias and Nemanja Maksimovic will start in the centre of the park. The trio will look to dominate the midfield against a makeshift Madrid midfield. Jaime Mata and Carles Alena could start out wide as the wingers. Meanwhile, former Real Madrid forward Borja Mayoral will lead the attack.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Soria; Angileri, Dakonam, Mitrovic, Alvarez; Iglesias, Maksimovic, Algobia; Alena, Mayoral, Mata
Key Stats
- Real Madrid are the highest-scoring team in the league with 69 goals to their name.
- Los Blancos have a dominant record against Getafe, winning 26 out of the last 36 matches played between the two teams.
- Despite their historical struggles against Real Madrid, Getafe have avoided defeat in two of their last four matches against the Merengues in La Liga.
- Carlo Ancelotti’s men have won 25 out of their 35 matches against Getafe in La Liga, giving them the highest win percentage against any team in the Spanish top flight.
- Getafe’s away record against Real Madrid is particularly poor, having lost their last 13 league matches on the road against their city rivals.
Player to Watch
Marco Asensio
The Spain international has been in fantastic form of late and has shown his ability to both score and create goals, making him a key player in Real Madrid’s attacking lineup. With the majority of their first-team players likely to be rested, all the attention will be on Asensio.
The 27-year-old has scored eight goals and six assists in just 27 appearances this season. While he hardly played a part in the first half of the season, Asensio has been key to Carlo Ancelotti’s team in recent months. And, the Italian manager will hope the Spain international comes good against Getafe. Meanwhile, Asensio’s future remains uncertain amid recent links with Aston Villa.
Prediction
Real Madrid 2-1 Getafe
Real Madrid will be looking to bounce back from their recent loss to Real Sociedad with a victory over Getafe. And they will undoubtedly be the favourites going into this match. Although they are unlikely to win the La Liga title this season, they will be looking to secure a win to keep their hopes of a top-three finish alive.
The hosts will also be motivated to build momentum ahead of their crucial Champions League semi-final second leg against Manchester City next week. Getafe, on the other hand, will be fighting for their survival in the top flight and will be looking to cause an upset.
However, given their poor away record this season and their current position in the relegation zone, it is difficult to see them getting anything from this game. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for the home team.
