Madrid – The defeat of Real Madrid at Anfield (2-0) has reopened wounds in the white camp, which hopes to heal in La Liga, as they did in the previous two matches of the domestic competition, with Getafe visiting the Santiago Bernabéu this Sunday at 16:15 CEST (-2 GMT).
Once again, Real Madrid suffered a significant defeat. After the heavy losses against FC Barcelona (4-0) and AC Milan (1-3), they used La Liga as a path back to winning ways, looking to regain confidence in a disjointed squad, but the arrival of Liverpool has reignited doubts.
This particular loss has placed heavy criticism on Kylian Mbappé. With Vinícius sidelined due to injury, the Frenchman failed to take charge of the team, was less involved in the game, and missed a penalty at 0-1 that could have changed the outcome. Against Getafe, Real Madrid fans will scrutinize him at his lowest moment after three and a half months donning the white jersey.
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In addition to Vinícius and Camavinga, who picked up a muscle injury against Liverpool, Ancelotti will also be without Dani Carvajal, Éder Militao, David Alaba, and Aurelien Tchouméni for the clash against Getafe.
On the other hand, Lucas Vázquez returns after injury against Liverpool, providing ‘Carletto’ with a solution for the right-back position, allowing Fede Valverde to return to the midfield.
However, Valverde seems set to occupy a different role. Not as a midfielder nor an interior player, but as the anchor of the team to replace Camavinga. “He can play in many positions on the field, and the problem for the coach is choosing the best position for the team,” Ancelotti remarked recently about Fede. Sunday’s game will be another demonstration of this versatility.
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The Uruguayan will operate as a pivot in a midfield where Ancelotti has limited options, with Luka Modric and Dani Ceballos fit to play alongside Jude Bellingham, who will enjoy more freedom in attack alongside Mbappé, while Brahim is favored over Arda Güler in the forward position.
Meanwhile, Getafe visits the Santiago Bernabéu possibly at the best moment of their season, having secured two consecutive victories in official matches for the first time in a year. They seek to maintain this positive trend to distance themselves from the relegation zone. One has to go back to December 2023 to find the last time the blue side won more than one match in a row.
Specifically, they achieved three victories: first overcoming Atzeneta (1-2) in the first round of the Copa del Rey, then winning 1-0 against Valencia and 0-3 against Sevilla in La Liga. Since then, up until this week, they had not achieved two consecutive wins, which they have now accomplished against Valladolid in La Liga (2-0) and against Manises in the Copa del Rey (0-3). These results are a relief for a team struggling in the lower part of the table, with many deficiencies in a squad that coach José Bordalás deems insufficient since last summer.
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The departure of key players like Mason Greenwood, Jaime Mata, Nemanja Maksimovic, Gastón Álvarez, Óscar Rodríguez, and José Ángel Carmona, along with the arrival of newcomers with little to no experience in the top flight, such as Christantus Uche, Álex Sola, Álvaro Rodríguez, or Juan Berrocal, prompted Bordalás to make a request to his president just two weeks ago: “The team needs six top-level signings,” he warned after a defeat to Girona (0-1).
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His president, Ángel Torres, responded with a blunt phrase: “Against the vice of asking is the vice of not giving,” leading Bordalás to stick firmly to his demanding work method to extract the best from his squad, lifting Getafe with two consecutive wins before facing Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu.
However, they will have to do without four players: two due to injury, Carles Aleñá and Borja Mayoral, and two due to suspension, Djené Dakonam and Bertug Yildirim. Of these, only the latter two have played almost every match and enjoy Bordalás’s absolute confidence. Their absence will be quite significant, with Djené likely replaced by Domingos Duarte in central defense, while Álvaro Rodríguez will fill in for the Turkish forward.
The Uruguayan forward, who scored one of the two goals in Getafe’s victory over Valladolid (2-0), will have a great opportunity to showcase himself in front of fans of the club he is still technically part of, having been loaned from Real Madrid this summer. His minutes have been limited under Bordalás, who is slowly starting to rely on ‘El Toro.’
This Sunday, his presence is highly probable in a starting eleven that reflects continuity from the match against Valladolid, aiming to secure Getafe’s second-ever victory at the Bernabéu.
Real Madrid: Thibaut Courtois; Lucas Vázquez, Antonio Rüdiger, Raúl Asencio, Fran García; Fede Valverde, Luka Modric, Dani Ceballos, Jude Bellingham; Brahim Díaz and Kylian Mbappé.
Getafe: David Soria; Nyom, Alderete, Duarte, Diego Rico; John Churches, Arambarri, Mile, Uche; Carles Perez and Alvaro Rodriguez.
Carlo Ancelotti: “I am like Mbappé, trying everything to bring out my best version.”
José Bordalás: “No one has the right to question or doubt Ancelotti.”
Stat: History is not on Getafe’s side at the Santiago Bernabéu, where they have only won once, 0-1 in the 2007/08 season with a goal from Ikechukwu Uche. In total, they have played 19 matches at Real Madrid’s stadium, suffering 17 defeats, one draw, one win, conceding 49 goals and scoring 16.
Getafe Injury Report: Borja Mayoral (injury), Carles Aleñá (injury), Bertug Yildirim (suspension), and Djené Dakonam (suspension);
Real Madrid Injury Report: Dani Carvajal, Éder Militao, David Alaba, Eduardo Camavinga, Aurelien Tchouméni, and Vinícius Junior; all due to injury. JS
