The scenes at the Santiago Bernabéu on Monday night felt like a funeral for Real Madrid’s title hopes, even though nothing is settled, as Getafe walked out with a 1-0 win that leaves FC Barcelona sitting comfortably four points clear at the top of La Liga. Still alive although not performing excellently in the UEFA Champions League, Madrid have gotten bounced from the Copa del Rey, and this latest collapse against a mid-table neighbor felt like the final straw for a lot of the home fans.
The game
turned on a moment of pure quality from Martín Satriano right before half-time. After Antonio Rüdiger failed to properly clear a cross, the Uruguayan forward, who just arrived on loan from Lyon in January, unleashed a vicious volley that flew into the top corner. It was a goal that left the Madrid crowd in a state of alarmed silence before their whistling started to show their disapproval.
It took 17 tries, but José Bordalás finally figured out how to beat his neighbors in white. Getafe played a perfect, annoying, and aggressive game – the quintessential Getafe performance. They committed six fouls in the first seven minutes, basically telling Álvaro Arbeloa’s side that there would be no easy passes.
Madrid, meanwhile, looked completely flat. Without Kylian Mbappé, who missed out with a knee issue, the attack was essentially just Vinícius Júnior trying to beat five defenders by himself. Despite having good moments, the Brazilian was not clinical, either.
Even the league debut of the highly-rated Thiago Pitarch in midfield couldn’t save them. Arbeloa decided to sub the kid off for Rodrygo in the second half, but the Bernabéu were still restless hoping to see if the manager could turn the game.
Worst of all for Madrid was the lack of discipline. Rüdiger was lucky to stay on the pitch after he appeared to intentionally knee Diego Rico in the face while the defender was down on the grass. VAR somehow let it slide, but the luck ran out for Franco Mastantuono. The Argentine youngster, who has been buried on the bench lately, came on late and managed to get himself sent off in stoppage time during a frantic, disorganized push for an equalizer. With seconds to go, Mastantuono got a red card for arguing with the ref. Adrián Liso managed to get himself sent off seconds later, as the Getafe player kicked away the ball, possibly thinking he had heard the final whistle.
David Soria deserves a massive shoutout for keeping the clean sheet, specifically for a fingertip save on a Rodrygo header that looked destined for the net. Madrid had flashes of danger and some good chances, but it still feels like a side that is missing the leadership of Toni Kroos and Luka Modrić more than ever.
Coupled with the 4-1 win over Villarreal, these past few days have looked very good indeed for Barcelona. Four points is far from an unassailable lead, but this was a significant step in their quest to reclaim La Liga.
