Real Madrid 2-0 Getafe: Hits and Flops from the game

Real Madrid cruised to a comfortable win over city rivals Getafe to kick-start their La Liga campaign on a positive note at the Santiago Bernabeu last night.

The Los Blancos put the disappointment of losing out to Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Super Cup behind them as Julen Lopetegui's men fared well enough despite the absence of Cristiano Ronaldo, who had joined Juventus in the summer.

The hosts were comfortable in possession since the very start and never looked like falling prey to Getafe's approach of sitting back and trying to hit their opponents on the break.

Dani Carvajal opened the scoring for Real in the 20th minute when he managed to take full advantage of David Soria's inability to punch the ball clear from the area following a cross from Gareth Bale.

Bale, who was unlucky to bag a goal for himself in the first half, doubled his side's lead in the 51st minute when his powerful shot squeezed the ball past Soria, who was let down due to some shoddy defending from Djene Dakonam in the build-up to the goal.

Getafe failed to force the initiative on the hosts and were eventually overrun by the gulf in class between the two sides. On that note, let's take a closer look at five hits and flops from the game in Madrid:

---

#5 Hit - Dani Carvajal (Real Madrid)

Carvajal was equally impressive in attack and defence for the hosts

The full-back was instrumental down the right flank for Real Madrid and he never looked like putting a foot wrong during the entirety of the game. Dani Carvajal, who scored the opening goal with a looping header that beat David Soria in the visitors' goal, was equally adept in dealing with the threat on offer from the pacey Senegalese Amath Diedhiou.

The Spaniard raised a number of questions to his counterparts, who had a torrid time dealing with Carvajal running up and down the flanks in relentless desire to help his team out at both ends of the pitch.

The 26-year-old was always willing to support his wide men and pushed forward whenever he sensed an opportunity on the night, adding to the woes caused by Marco Asensio and Bale after the duo had switched flanks from time to time to wreck havoc inside the opponent's half.

#4 Flop - Djene Dakonam (Getafe)

Djene struggled to keep the Real Madrid attackers at bay

The Togolese defender had a game to forget against the European champions as he was continuously caught out by the sheer pace of the Real Madrid attackers, who enjoyed facing him with the ball at their feet.

Djene Dakonam struggled to establish himself as a towering presence in the heart of the visitors' defence and was completely caught out by Marco Asensio during the build-up to the Los Blancos' second goal of the night that eventually put the game to bed.

Djene was beaten for pace and easily dispossessed from the ball when Asensio pounced on a lapse in concentration from the defender to cut it back for Gareth Bale, who made no mistake from close range to find the back of the net.

The defender was also one of the seven Getafe players who picked up a yellow card during the game as the visitors resorted to fouls in a bid to try and disrupt the rhythm of the game.

#3 Hit - Marcelo (Real Madrid)

Marcelo was his usual self down that left flank on the night

Marcelo impressed throughout the game with his attacking exploits down the left flank for Real Madrid on the night. The Brazilian relentlessly pushed forward in pursuit of mounting pressure on his opponents, who looked like being just a whisker away from imploding under the lights at the Bernabeu.

The full-back made a number of attacking forays down the opponent's half and added a fair bit of flair to the system that nullified Getafe's 'sit back and absorb the pressure' approach adopted during the entirety of the game.

The 30-year-old grew in confidence as the game progressed and eventually became a real threat going forward for the hosts, contributing a fair bit in the build-up to both their goals that helped them see off their city rivals in the end.

#2 Flop - Leandro Cabrera (Getafe)

Cabrera struggled against the width on offer from Real Madrid

The Uruguayan full-back was handed no favours whatsoever from the wide men who wrecked havoc on the night for Real Madrid. Leandro Cabrera struggled against the pace and tenacity of Gareth Bale initially while Marco Asensio also made it a point to grab a piece of the defender whenever the duo switched flanks from time to time.

The defender was also caught out by the onrushing Dani Carvajal who enjoyed marauding down the width of the pitch to rub salt into Cabrera's already deep wounds that drained him down during the majority of the game.

The full-back rarely explored his offensive side of the game as he was pegged back and rooted deep into his own half, always playing catch up to his counterparts who were on a league of their own.

#1 Hit - Gareth Bale (Real Madrid)

Bale conjured an enthralling performance for Real Madrid

Gareth Bale stepped up to deliver when it mattered the most for Real Madrid and certainly looked the part for the majority of his involvement during the game, as the hosts cruised to a comfortable win on the night.

The Welshman was a real live wire during the first half and was extremely unlucky not to grab a goal in the first 45 after he conjured two solid efforts on goal for the Los Blancos. Bale's well-dispatched shot was parried away by David Soria at first while his diving header kissed the crossbar and skimmed away and over the goal for his second effort.

However, the winger was rightfully rewarded for his attacking exploits early on when he scored from close range in the second half to double the hosts' lead on the night.

Plenty of talk had emerged surrounding the club's inability to replace Cristiano Ronaldo but if Bale can keep up this kind of form and remain injury free, then he could establish himself as a central figure at the Bernabeu.