Real Madrid’s La Liga title bid falters after a shock home defeat to Getafe, leaving them four points behind leaders Barcelona.
REAL MADRID’s La Liga title challenge suffered a significant setback after a shock 1-0 home defeat to Getafe on Monday.
Alvaro Arbeloa’s side were beaten by a superb Martin Satriano volley, suffering back-to-back league defeats for the first time since 2020.
The loss leaves Madrid four points behind arch-rivals Barcelona, who thrashed Villarreal on Saturday.
Forward Franco Mastantuono compounded a miserable night by being sent off in stoppage time for apparent dissent.
“Obviously it’s a match where we could have done things better, but I think my players tried and we had more clear chances than them,” Arbeloa told reporters.
He added that in football, deserving to win is not enough, crediting Getafe for playing a great game.
With Kylian Mbappe absent due to a knee sprain, Madrid started with Gonzalo Garcia alongside Vinicius Junior in attack.
Vinicius, in excellent recent form, spurned a fine early chance when his effort was saved by Getafe goalkeeper David Soria.
Arda Guler also came close with a brilliant strike that Soria tipped over the bar.
Getafe’s winner arrived in the 56th minute through a moment of quality from Uruguayan forward Satriano.
He met a headed pass from compatriot Mauro Arambarri with a delicious first-time volley from the edge of the box.
Soria produced another fine save to deny Vinicius in the second half as Madrid struggled to break down a resolute Getafe defence.
Antonio Rudiger came closest to an equaliser with a late header, but it was a disjointed display from the hosts.
The defeat casts a shadow over Madrid’s crucial upcoming fixtures, which include a trip to Celta Vigo and a Champions League last-16 clash with Manchester City.
“Nobody here is throwing in the towel, this is Real Madrid, you don’t give up until the last game,” insisted Arbeloa.
He stated that a four-point gap is a distance they can cut back and they will fight for it.
For Getafe, the victory marked their first win at the Bernabeu since 2008, lifting them to 11th in the table.
Getafe defender Kiko Femenia congratulated his team for their defensive work and for taking their chance when it came.
