Real Madrid vs Getafe

An all-Madrid La Liga contest between Real Madrid and Getafe at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu is a textbook definition of a lopsided affair.

Real Madrid’s effort to repay arch-rivals Barcelona courtesy of removing them from the La Liga throne has been off to a flying start. Inspired by free-scoring Jude Bellingham, ‘Los Merengues’ have won all three league games this season, including a nerve-shredding 1-0 triumph at Celta Vigo last weekend. But that win came with a price. Carlo Ancelotti lost another significant first-team cog in Vinicius Junior, who could be keeping company to Eder Militao and Thibaut Courtois in the treatment room until early October. Even without the Brazilian speed demon, ‘Los Blancos’ are still in pole position to head into the international break as the only La Liga side with a 100% win ratio, having won 14 consecutive top-flight home H2Hs against Getafe since a 1-0 loss in 2008, including the last five without conceding.

In the meantime, Getafe could be in for another season-long fight against relegation after finishing 15th in the La Liga standings in the last three years. Jose Bordalas’ side beat Valladolid by only two points to secure survival in 2022/23. A two-game scoreless start to the new top-flight campaign (D1, L1) indicated ‘El Geta’ could spend another season in the lower reaches before Borja Mayoral’s late penalty fired them to a narrow 1-0 home win over newly-promoted Deportivo Alaves last weekend. However, that success should be the end of the line for Getafe, at least until La Liga returns to action after the international break, considering they’ve failed to get on the scoresheet on six of their last eight league travels!