Winter break saps Real Madrid's momentum as Blancos suffer shock defeat to Getafe

Real Madrid were in stupendous form before the winter break, but they were brought down to earth in their very first game of 2022.

Los Blancos are still sitting at the top of La Liga, having opened up a huge gap over their rivals. However, they missed the chance to extend their lead at the summit when they faced Getafe on Sunday.

For a team that had gone 15 matches unbeaten, Carlo Ancelotti's side were largely expected to make light work of their relegation-battling opponents.

However, it was Getafe who took away all three points after recording a 1-0 win over Real Madrid. An early strike from Enes Unal was enough to consign the Blancos to defeat.

Real Madrid shocked by Getafe

For the record, Real Madrid did not underrate Getafe. Ancelotti fielded a full-strength team with the hope of securing the win.

The home side, though, were up for the challenge. Despite playing on the back foot for larger periods, they defended well and managed to hold on to their lead.

The result may come as a shock to many, especially with Getafe going into the game on the back of just one win in their previous four matches. But Los Blancos got what they deserved for being passive and reactive.

Real Madrid’s 15-game unbeaten run was achieved through ruthlessness and a conscious effort to close games but they were far from their best on Sunday and were rightly punished.

Merengues lose momentum after winter break

A winter break usually either helps a team that is going through a slump to reboot or saps the momentum of a team that is enjoying a good run.

Unfortunately for Real Madrid, they’ve found themselves in the latter category. The winter break clearly did not help them, especially when they were in such a rich vein of form.

"We reacted well for 10 minutes after the goal and then became nervous. We lost balls and battles,” Ancelotti admitted after the defeat, as quoted by Marca.

"There's not a lot to say about the game. We stayed on holidays for an extra day. We weren't the same team that ended the year.

"We were less focused, less committed. A draw would have been fair because we didn't deserve to lose, but we gifted a goal and we lost. It could be a wake-up call. We seemed like we were still on holidays."

The loss to Getafe is the reality check that Real Madrid needed and Los Merengues must quickly regroup and regain their mojo to prevent their season from unraveling.