Real Madrid will look to move to the top of the table when they visit Getafe in the La Liga. The Azulones will start the game in 10th place, while Los Blancos are currently in second place. They are one point behind Girona.
Preview (Getafe vs. Real Madrid)
After dropping matches against Sevilla and Osasuna in the Copa del Rey and league, respectively, Getafe bounced back against Granada on Monday. Mason Greenwood scored the first goal through a deflection. Borja Mayoral, who was on fire, took advantage of a mistake made by Granada goalkeeper Augusto Batalla. The Azulones are now comfortably positioned in mid-table. They have won seven, drawn eight, and lost six of their 21 league games. This puts them on track to surpass a record of three straight 15th-place finishes.
The Azulones have impressively given up just six league goals at the Coliseum this season. They will need to muster all of their defensive fortitude to frustrate Real Madrid. Getafe is looking to win their first straight head-to-head match after falling short in all four of their previous encounters with Real Madrid (2-1 in January 2022). In Saturday’s away match against Las Palmas, Real Madrid had to mount another comeback after defeating Almeria 3-2 after behind by two goals.
After a goalless first half, Las Palmas midfielder Javier Munoz gave Getafe the lead in the 53rd minute with a deflected shot. However, goals from Vincencius Junior and Aurelien Tchouameni helped Los Blancos win the match. Following their triumphant journey to Gran Canaria, Real Madrid has now won five straight La Liga games. They have also gone undefeated in 15 league games since losing their season-opening encounter against Atletico Madrid in September.
Team News
Mauro Arambarri remains out injured for Getafe. Ilaix Moriba is presently playing for Guinea at the Africa Cup of Nations. Following their separate suspensions, Damian Suarez, Jose Angel Carmona, and Luis Milla will all be open for selection. When Mayoral starts up front against his old team, he will be trying to score for the third time in a row. Mayoral has scored 14 goals in the league this season. Regarding Real Madrid, Thibaut Courtois, Eduardo Militao, and David Alaba are still recovering from anterior cruciate ligament injuries, so they are not available.
Although Ancelotti has been known to alternate between Kepa Arrizabalaga and Andrei Lunin in recent weeks, the Real Madrid manager might be persuaded to start the Ukrainian in goal for Thursday’s match. Jude Bellingham, an England international, who missed the victory over Las Palmas because of a one-match suspension for receiving too many yellow cards, will make a comeback to the team. Ancelotti is expected to return Ferland Mendy, Luka Modric, Federico Valverde, and Tchouameni following a number of alterations over the weekend.
Getafe 1-2 Real Madrid
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