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The clash between Getafe and Real Madrid saw two sides with contrasting ambitions face off on Sunday evening. Real Madrid are well and truly alive in the title race and were looking to put pressure on Atletico Madrid at the top of La Liga. The hosts Getafe, however, had won just one of their previous 12 games and were looking to pull clear of the relegation zone.
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Getafe began the game by far the better of the two teams. The home side came close to taking the lead less than two minutes into the game as striker Jaime Mata was yards away from goal before a vital block from young Victor Chust took the ball away from him.
Real Madrid scored an offside goal soon after which was ruled out but did not really look like they could break their determined opponents who were sharper of the two sides on the pitch. Getafe hit the woodwork just before the half-hour mark, another testament to their dominance on the evening.
An end-to-end first half however ended goalless with Getafe being the more inspired side going into the tunnel.
The second half saw a slight reduction in tempo in comparison to the high octane manner of the first half. However, Real Madrid still did not look hungry enough to take the game to their hosts and once again Jose Bordalas' men looked the more likely to take the lead.
A couple of substitutions from both sides saw the game tempo suffer a further dip as both sides preferred to intelligently commit transition fouls to prevent the other side from taking a late lead. The plan ultimately paid off as neither side could find a breakthrough until the final whistle.
The game ended 0-0 as Real Madrid suffered a little hitch in their title race as they failed to close the gap at the top of La Liga. Getafe would feel aggrieved not to have taken all three points as they were the better team for long spells of the game but could take confidence in their performance on the night to finish the season as strongly as possible.
With points being shared between the two sides on the night, both teams remained in the same league position after the game. Real Madrid remain second, two points behind Atletico Madrid, but could potentially drop to third should Barcelona win their game in hand. Getafe still sit 15th in the table ahead of their trip to Barcelona on Thursday.
On that note, we take a look at five talking points from the game.
#5 Victor Chust impresses on first league start for Real Madrid
The 21-year-old Real Madrid Castilla graduate made his first start and just his second La Liga appearance against Getafe and the young defender impressed in the heart of defense alongside Militao to ensure Real Madrid took a point from the game.
Club captain Sergio Ramos has been sidelined with injury since the last international break, while Raphael Varane was confirmed to have contracted Covid-19 before Real Madrid's Champions League clash with Liverpool. Nacho Fernandez has filled in place of the two but was also absent from the squad for the Getafe game after picking up a suspension with a fifth yellow card of the season in the El Clasico last week.
Chust was therefore brought into the starting XI by manager Zinedine Zidane and the youngster impressed thoroughly. He made a crucial interception early in the game to keep the score level before going on to make six clearances, one tackle and one interception.
#4 Wasteful finishing cost Getafe
Getafe had one win in their last 12 games before facing Real Madrid, however the Azulones did not look like a side in shambolic form with their performance against Real Madrid. They matched their visitors in every manner and would rightly feel they should have won the game.
However, the home team were guilty of wastefulness in front of goal and wayward finishing as they had three gilt-edged chances to score in the first 45 minutes but failed to convert any.
The hosts had 19 shots in the game with six of them on target, however they could not muster the invention to beat Thibaut Courtois in the Real Madrid goal. Jose Bordalas will therefore be hoping his side learn from the game and start converting chances in this final lap of the season to ensure they stay in La Liga for another season.
#3 Fatigue could hamper Real Madrid's campaign
Real Madrid were second-best for long periods of the game as they struggled to keep pace with an energetic Getafe side. Los Blancos' inability to keep up with their opponents could be attributed to their tightly packed fixture run.
Zinedine Zidane's men went away to Liverpool on Wednesday in the second leg of their Champions League quarterfinal clash. Barely three days later they resumed domestic duties at Getafe against a desperate side who have had over a week of rest and as expected, Real Madrid could not cope.
It was glaring that despite the few changes done by Zidane, his side are well off their usual best as energy levels have greatly depleted. Getafe had more shots, created more chances, attempted more crosses and completed more takeons than Real Madrid on the night. It does not get any easier for Zinedine Zidane as his side return to action in three days when they face Cadiz in La Liga.
#2 Eder Militao impresses again
Militao made a €50 million switch from Portuguese giants Porto in 2019 but struggled for regular playing time due to the presence of first-choice centre-backs at the club, Sergio Ramos and Raphael Varane.
Both men have however suffered from injuries this campaign and Militao has now found a consistent run of games. The Brazilian defender has done superbly well for Los Blancos.
The 23-year old had an horrow show in defense for Real Madrid back in January when he was sent off in the first 10 minutes of the game against Levante. He has however been reintegrated into the starting XI for five consecutive games now and he has shown his quality.
Militao showed real maturity playing alongside the young Chust in defense against Getafe and led by example, making a game-high 10 clearances.
#1 La Liga race heats up
Real Madrid had the chance to reduce the gap at the top of La Liga to just one point but failed to do so and now sit three points behind Atletico Madrid, who demolished Eibar 5-0 earlier on Sunday.
Real Madrid still sit second in the La Liga table but could drop to third if Barcelona win their game in hand. Barcelona were absent from league duties this weekend as they took on Athletic Bilbao in the Copa del Rey final on Saturday, winning 4-0.
With seven games to go in La Liga, Real Madrid will be looking to win every single one of their remaining games to give them a chance to win a consecutive league title.
