Second-placed Real Madrid will look to maintain the pressure on Barcelona when they welcome Getafe to the Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday.
Having suffered a massive defeat at the hands of Liverpool in the UEFA Champions League, Real Madrid will be eager to return to winning ways when they host Getafe, who find themselves on the opposite end of the points table.
The home team are currently second in La Liga, and they are four points behind the Catalan giants with a game in hand. With Hansi Flick’s team scheduled to play UD Las Palmas, they could extend the gap to seven points.
The team from Madrid will look to ensure they do not let their arch-rivals widen the gap at the top. But, they are not heading into this one in the best of forms having lost to Liverpool in their last outing.
Meanwhile, the visitors are 15th on the points table. Getafe have only managed 13 points so far with just two wins in 14 outings. The Azulones are three points above the drop zone and a win in this fixture could be a massive boost for them.
The away team’s five-match winless streak came to an end in their last league outing against Real Valladolid. They managed to build on it with a win over Manises in the Copa del Rey. While they have been on a roll of late, they have a massive task of taking down one of the Spanish giants away from home. The Hard Tackle takes a close look at both fixtures and tries to predict the tactics they could put to use.
Team News & Tactics
Real Madrid
Carlo Ancelotti will be without the services of Eder Militao, Dani Carvajal, David Alaba, and Vinicius Junior. However, they do have a boost as Aurelien Tchouameni and Rodrygo Goes are both expected to be back in the squad.
While there have been some concerns about the fitness of Kylian Mbappe, Jude Bellingham and Brahim Diaz, all three are expected to be fully fit to take part in this encounter. Lucas Vazquez who is back in the mix and should return to the starting XI, allowing Federico Valverde to shift back into the midfield.
Real Madrid will line up in the 4-3-3 formation where Thibaut Courtois will be in goal. Vazquez and Fran Garcia as full-backs, while Raul Asencio and Antonio Rudiger will feature in the heart of the defence.
In the centre of the park, Valverde should start alongside Dani Ceballos and Jude Bellingham. The trio will look to control the tempo of the game, something Real Madrid have struggled to do since the departure of Toni Kroos. While Rodrygo is back, he might not be risked from the start. Mbappe will continue to be the nine with Brahim Diaz and Arda Guler on the flanks.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Courtois; Vazquez, Rudiger, Asencio, Fran Garcia; Ceballos, Valverde, Bellingham; Guler, Mbappe, Diaz
Getafe
The visitors will be without the services of Carles Alena, while Borja Mayoral, who is struggling with a muscular issue, might only be fit enough to feature on the bench. Meanwhile, Bertug Yildirim and Djene Dakonam are both suspended for this fixture.
Getafe will go ahead with the 4-2-3-1 formation against Real Madrid, with David Soria in goal. Juan Iglesias and Diego Rico will be the full-backs, with Domingos Duarte and Omar Alderete pairing up at the heart of the defence.
Luis Milla will partner Mauro Arambarri in the centre of the park. The duo will form the double pivot and will look to shield the backline. Christantus Uche will be the attacking midfielder, with Carles Perez and Allan Nyom providing the much-needed width to their attacks. While Alvaro Rodriguez is on loan from Real Madrid, he is still eligible to feature in this fixture and will most likely start.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Soria; Iglesias, Duarte, Alderete, Rico; Milla, Arambarri; Nyom, Uche, Perez; Rodriguez
Key Stats
- While Real Madrid have lost three out of their last five games across competitions, they have a chance of making it three league wins in a row against Getafe.
- Los Blancos have the best home record in La Liga this season with 18 points in their seven outings.
- Getafe have struggled on the road having secured just two points in their six outings.
- The visitors have only won six out of their last 38 matches against the team in white.
- Getafe last won at the Bernabeu back in February 2008.
Player to Watch
Arda Guler
Guler struggled in his debut season because of injuries, but he ended the campaign in fine fashion after regaining full fitness. However, things have not been that great for him in the 2024/25 season for the Turk.
The 19-year-old did have enough opportunities at the start and now when injuries have helped him break into the starting XI, the Turkish gem has not been able to make it count. Guler will be eager to bag his first goal of the season against Getafe.
Prediction
Real Madrid 2-0 Getafe
Carlo Ancelotti’s team have suffered three defeats in the UEFA Champions League, and they are heading into this fixture on the back of a 2-0 loss to Liverpool. But, they have managed to get the desired result in La Liga on most occasions and are expected to bounce back against Getafe who have been struggling since the start of the new campaign. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-0 win for the home team.
