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It was an entertaining affair at the Estadio Alfredo di Stefano as Real Madrid took home all three points against a stubborn Getafe side on Thursday evening.
Heading into the game, Getafe were intent on causing an upset at Real Madrid's expense as they sought to overturn their recent poor run of form and strengthen their challenge for the European spots on the table. Los Blancos, with Barcelona nipping at their heels in second place, perhaps had more to fight for and they ultimately consolidated their position at the top of La Liga thanks to a well-taken penalty by Sergio Ramos.
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The game started with both sides immediately vying for control and possession in a bid to dominate the proceedings. Within minutes, it was clear that Getafe were the better side. While the home side struggled to find their rhythm and footing in the game, they were outclassed by Los Azulones and were forced into a defensive mode.
Before the end of the first half, Real Madrid began to find their rhythm and were looking for some chances in the final third. The trio of Toni Kroos, Luka Modric, and Casemiro regained hold of the midfield strings, and soon enough, the hosts had a number of close chances at goal.
In the second half, substitutions were made but the game largely remained the same: serious chances for both sides, with Real Madrid unable to stop Getafe from getting forward and taking a crack at goal.
However, to Getafe's dismay, Daniel Carvajal was brought down by Mathias Oliviera in the box after making a dashing run from the right flank. While the tackle didn't look intentional from the young left-back, the penalty was awarded and Ramos cooly slotted it into the goal.
Getafe played impressively as they held down the Madrid giants. They fought right to the end and their performance should be some consolation to Jose Bordalas and their fans. Meanwhile, Real Madrid were lucky enough to take all three points thanks to a spot-kick.
Without further ado, let's look at five hits and flops from the game:
#1 Sergio Ramos - Hit
We're rather used to the way Real Madrid plays: their centre-backs help to recycle possession and Sergio Ramos would arrive late in the box during open-play attacks. His antics and willingness to get forward have seen the Spaniard pick up an impressive nine goals so far this season. Notably, he has scored four of those goals since La Liga's resumption.
The 34-year-old skipper once again took charge of the defence and coordinated affairs from the back. He stayed defensively immovable- clearing dangerous balls- and picked up yet another goal to add to his tally. It was an all-round impressive performance from the centre-back.
#2 Vinicius Junior - Flop
Besides the rare flicker of potential and flair, Vinicius Jr was a spectator on the pitch on Thursday evening. He seemed unable to wreak any havoc on Getafe's backline and struggled to take any serious chances at goal. Real Madrid's front three didn't see much of the ball for most of the game, but that doesn't justify his poor outing.
Shockingly, Raphael Varane, who spent thirty minutes on the field, had more touches on the ball than Vicinius did. In fact, the youngster had the fewest touches - as well as passes - in the entire Real Madrid starting lineup. His 62nd-minute substitution couldn't have come early enough.
#3 Daniel Carvajal - Hit
Daniel Carvajal was a rock in the Real Madrid defence against Getafe. He never stopped sniffing out opportunities to drive forward and caused constant trouble on the other end of the pitch. While tallying over 107 touches, which is the most by any player on the field, the experienced right-back was quick to make important tackles and interceptions to keep the home side in the game.
His impressive work rate, pace and uncanny ability to drive forward paid off for Real Madrid as the foul against him got them a penalty. His crossing and general passing accuracy could certainly have been better but his overall performance was top-notch.
#4 Mathias Olivera - Flop
The inspiring defensive structure that Getafe had set up for this game culminated into zero points after Sergio Ramos slotted in the penalty born from Mathias Olivera's tackle. The 22-year-old left-back actually played well defensively for most of the game. He made necessary interceptions, tackled well and formed the wall structure that kept Real Madrid out.
However, besides his badly-timed- albeit unintentional- tackle, Olivera was rather poor in terms of build-up play for his side. He was unable to string up more than a few passes in a row and ended up with less than 60% passing accuracy. His long passes were just as inaccurate as well.
#5 Ferland Mendy - Hit
Real Madrid's left flank - from where Vicinius watched the proceedings - may not have had much weight for most of the game, but when it did, Ferland Mendy was fully involved. He was unafraid to run at his marker, using his pace and work-rate in a bid to disrupt a tight-knit Getafe defence. He distributed the ball, sought opportunities on the flank and sent in the occasional cross.
Defensively, he made well-timed tackles, kept shape with the backline and did his part in ensuring that Real Madrid maintain their clean sheet until the end of the game.
