Getafe stun Real Madrid to shake up La Liga title race

Real Madrid fell to a damaging 1-0 defeat by Getafe at home in La Liga on Monday, leaving them four points behind leaders Barcelona.

Alvaro Arbeloa’s side, beaten by a superb volley from Martin Satriano, suffered a second consecutive loss in the Spanish top flight for the first time since 2020.

Madrid forward Franco Mastantuono was sent off in stoppage time for apparent dissent to make a bad night worse for Los Blancos.

“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.

“However, in football, deserving isn’t enough, and Getafe played a great game.”

With French superstar Kylian Mbappe in France to treat a knee sprain, Madrid lined up with Gonzalo Garcia in attack alongside Brazil star Vinicius Junior at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Real Madrid were beaten at Osasuna last weekend, allowing rivals Barca to overtake them in the title race, and Hansi Flick’s side stretched their lead by thrashing Villarreal on Saturday.

Vinicius, in excellent form in 2026 after an inconsistent start to the season, spurned a fine early chance.

The winger burst through on goal, but David Soria saved well with his leg.

A brilliant roulette from Arda Guler nearly earned Madrid the breakthrough, but Soria tipped over the Turkish forward’s strike.

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Getafe were upset by a painful collision between Madrid defender Antonio Rudiger and Diego Rico, in which the German’s knee knocked the Spaniard’s head.

Uruguayan forward Satriano broke the deadlock with a delicious strike from the edge of the box after compatriot Mauro Arambarri nodded the ball into his path.

Soria, who had a fine game, saved from Vinicius in the second half, and the Brazilian called for more support from Madrid’s fans.

However, the team were not giving them much to get excited about, although Rudiger came close to levelling with a header.

It was a disjointed display from a Madrid side who visit Celta Vigo on Friday in La Liga, before hosting Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City in the Champions League last 16, unsure if top scorer Mbappe will be fit to play.

In stoppage time, Mastantuono was dismissed, seemingly for something he said to the referee, before Getafe were also reduced to 10 men when Adrian Liso kicked the ball away and was shown a second yellow card.

“Nobody here is throwing in the towel, this is Real Madrid, you don’t give up until the last game,” added Arbeloa.

“Four points is a distance that we can cut back, and we will fight for that.”

Jose Bordalas’s Getafe rose to 11th and were able to celebrate their first win at the Bernabeu since 2008.

“It’s very hard to get points when you come here. I have to congratulate the team for the work in defence, then we got our goal, and we could even have scored another in the end,” said Getafe defender Kiko Femenia.

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Kylian Mbappe sends Real Madrid top as Getafe self-destruct

Kylian Mbappe extended his goalscoring streak to 11 consecutive games to help Real Madrid reclaim top spot in La Liga with a 1-0 victory at nine-man Getafe on Sunday.

After rivals Barcelona briefly displaced Los Blancos with a narrow win over Girona on Saturday, Xabi Alonso’s side restored their two-point advantage before next weekend’s Clásico.

Getafe fended off Madrid until Allan Nyom was dismissed a minute after coming on, and Mbappe quickly pounced to decide the game in the 80th minute. Alex Sancris was also sent off as Getafe unravelled in the final stages.

Alonso started with Brazilian star Vinicius Junior on the bench, with the Champions League clash against Juventus on Wednesday and Barca’s impending visit in mind.

The winger turned out to be key as a second-half substitute, with both of Getafe’s red cards issued for fouls on him.

Kylian Mbappe returned after an ankle problem kept him out of a France World Cup qualifier earlier in the week, leading the line at Getafe’s Coliseum stadium.

The French forward had scored in his previous 10 consecutive appearances for club and country and found the net once again.

Mbappe twice came close before Getafe earned a foothold in the game and began to frustrate the visitors, stopping them from creating much danger.

Only towards the end of the first period did Madrid perk up again in attack, with Soria saving from Rodrygo Goes after good work by Jude Bellingham.

Getafe’s goalkeeper made a good stop from a powerful David Alaba free-kick, and Fede Valverde flashed a strike across the face of the goal before half-time.

Alonso sent on Vinicius in the second half, and his spark began to worry the hosts, who resorted to fouls to fend off the Brazilian.

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Bellingham fed Mbappe, who fired off target, and then whipped a free-kick inches wide, as Madrid remained comfortably on top.

The game changed when Getafe substitute Nyom, under a minute after coming on, needlessly knocked down Vinicius off the ball with his arm and was sent off.

Moments after play restarted, Real Madrid took the lead.

Arda Guler fed Mbappe, who was just onside, and he turned nicely before firing past Soria and in off the post for his 10th league goal of the season, leading the charts both in La Liga and in the Champions League.

Getafe continued to self-destruct, and Sancris was sent off for a second yellow card, gained for another unnecessary foul on Vinicius, leaving Jose Bordalas’s side with nine men.

Alvaro Carreras fired wide after a cheeky scoop over the defence by Vinicius, whom Getafe fans booed.

Despite their significant numerical disadvantage, the hosts had one golden chance to level in stoppage time, but Thibaut Courtois saved from Englishman Abu Kamara with his knee.

Getafe coach Bordalas said he did not believe Nyom deserved to be dismissed before Madrid’s opener.

Elsewhere, newly-promoted Elche continued their good start to the season with a 0-0 draw against Athletic Bilbao, which left them seventh, one place above their Basque opponents.

Rayo Vallecano climbed into 10th with a 3-0 win at Levante, while struggling Real Sociedad snatched a late 1-1 draw at 10-man Celta Vigo.

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Real Madrid win at Getafe to keep La Liga title hopes alive

Arda Guler struck the only goal as Real Madrid won 1-0 at Getafe on Wednesday to claw back to within four points of La Liga leaders Barcelona.

The young Turkish international fired in from outside the area midway through the first half as Carlo Ancelotti’s side stayed in title contention after Barcelona won by the same scoreline at Mallorca on Tuesday.

Arch-rivals Madrid and Barcelona will meet in the Copa del Rey final in Seville on Saturday, with Kylian Mbappe poised to return from injury for the weekend Clasico — one of two remaining this season. The clubs are also due to meet in the league on May 11.

However, the win over Getafe may have come at a cost to Madrid, with David Alaba and Eduardo Camavinga both forced off.

“We’ll see what they have tomorrow, but I think they’re both suffering from muscle soreness. It will certainly be difficult for them to be available on Saturday (to play Barcelona),” said Ancelotti.

In Mbappe’s absence on the outskirts of Madrid, 18-year-old Brazilian striker Endrick made his first league start as England international Jude Bellingham dropped to the bench.

Left-back Fran Garcia twice went close for Madrid, his initial effort palmed away by David Soria before he blasted the rebound high and wide.

It wasn’t long before Guler broke the deadlock after Brahim Diaz looked to have wasted the chance.

Real Madrid worked the ball back out to Guler, whose powerful 20-yard drive flashed past Soria despite the Getafe goalkeeper getting a hand to it.

Endrick thought he had scored only his second La Liga goal after being put through by Vinicius Junior, but Soria took the sting out of his shot, and Djene cleared off the line.

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Getafe created opportunities of their own, the best of which fell in the second half to an unmarked Mauro Arambarri, who dragged wide with only Thibaut Courtois to beat.

Courtois came to Madrid’s rescue in stoppage time as he smothered inside his six-yard box after Peter and Juanmi tried to force the ball home from close range.

Getafe substitute Alvaro Rodriguez, who is on loan from Madrid, nearly snatched an equaliser at the death but saw his low shot beaten away by Courtois.

Inaki Williams fired Athletic Bilbao to a 1-0 home win over Las Palmas earlier on Wednesday to strengthen their chances of direct qualification for next season’s Champions League.

The Basque side sit fourth with five games to go, eight points clear of fifth-placed Villarreal, who suffered a 3-0 defeat at Celta Vigo.

Bilbao also have a Europa League semi-final against Manchester United to come, and should they win that, they will play the final in their home stadium.

Five La Liga sides qualify for the Champions League this season. Sixth-placed Betis are a point behind Villarreal ahead of their encounter with rock-bottom Valladolid on Thursday.

A fifth-minute goal from the elder Williams brother after he turned a defender in the box and side-footed home with the outside of his boot was enough for all three points.

Bilbao needed two sharp saves from Spain goalkeeper Unai Simon before half-time as relegation-threatened Las Palmas went down fighting.

Alaves climbed out of the bottom three at the expense of Las Palmas with a 1-0 victory over Real Sociedad.

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Robert Lewandowski helps La Liga leaders Barcelona edge past Getafe

Robert Lewandowski continued his fine form and helped La Liga leaders Barcelona earn a 1-0 victory over Getafe on Wednesday.

The Polish forward struck from close range in the first half to maintain Barcelona’s 100 percent record in the league so far this season with their seventh victory.

Barcelona dominated despite not being able to add to their lead and restored a four-point advantage over Real Madrid, who beat Alaves on Tuesday.

“You can’t always win by a lot of goals,” defender Jules Kounde told Movistar. “I think the important thing is we made a lot of chances again and took the three points… Getafe is always a tough team to handle.”

Coach Hansi Flick started Inaki Pena in goal for the stricken Marc-Andre ter Stegen, out for months with a severe knee injury, and brought Marc Casado and Alejandro Balde back into the side.

The reserve goalkeeper, who conceded 32 times in 17 matches across all competitions last season, heard his name chanted supportively by fans behind his goal and saved an early header from Carles Perez.

By contrast his opposite number David Soria’s weak touch on Kounde’s cross led to Barcelona’s opener on 19 minutes, the ball falling perfectly for Lewandowski to finish from close range.

The 36-year-old striker has seven goals in La Liga this season and leads the scoring charts, seemingly rejuvenated under Flick after struggling at times last season.

“For me, he’s the best number nine of the last 10 years,” Flick, who also coached him at Bayern Munich, told reporters. “His job is in front of the goal, in the box, and he’s doing that great.”

Teen starlet Lamine Yamal might have doubled the lead moments later when Raphinha played him in, but he nudged inches past the post.

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Soria made a good save from Raphinha, who collected the August Player of the Month award before kick-off, and soon sent another effort skidding wide.

Yamal almost bent home a delicious curling strike from a distance before the hour, but Soria tipped it over the crossbar.

The Getafe goalkeeper also palmed a dangerous Raphinha free-kick around the post as Barcelona pushed for a second to put the match to bed.

Spain’s Euro 2024 hero Yamal clipped the top of the crossbar with a vicious effort from a distance, as Barca started to grumble about Getafe’s persistently heavy challenges.

Raphinha missed a golden chance in the final stages, heading wide after a clever dart into the box but Barcelona were not punished for their profligacy.

Getafe, 19th, are still winless and wasted a fine chance of their own at the death when Borja Mayoral failed to get a shot away when well placed and free inside the box.

“We didn’t put away our chances… we have to be more decisive in the area,” said Getafe midfielder Luis Milla.

The Madrid club have found the net on just three occasions so far this season.

The leaders next travel to face Osasuna on Saturday, before second-placed Real Madrid face rivals Atletico Madrid in a derby clash on Sunday.

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Morata’s double bolsters Atletico to crush Getafe 3-0 in La Liga

GETAFE: Atletico Madrid start their La Liga 2022-23 campaign on a winning note as Alvaro Morata and Antonie Griezmann shone to bolster the side to beat the home side Getafe 3-0 on Monday.

Morate led the charge for Atletico as he scored the opening goal in the 15th minute to set the tone for the match.

The home side then remained on the back foot till the first half, however, halted Atletico to enhance their lead as Getafe’s defence thwarted several attempts to keep the scoreboard intact.

The home side seemed to have found the opportunity to net the equalizer in the 41st minute as Getafe got the ball on the right-hand flank and the cross came in for Borja Mayoral, whose strike bounced on a little too much; forcing the ball to hit the crossbar.

The home side then again found a vital opportunity in the opening minutes of the second half as Enes Unal found space and ran with the ball on the left with no Atletico defenders near him. The Turkish footballer, however, failed to net the ball as it sailed over the post.

Following the missed opportunity, Getafe then lost the ball in the key area and Joao Felix made a near-perfect assist to Morata, who made no mistake to make the ball rest in the net to enhance Atletico’s lead to 2-0 in the 59th minute.

Coming in as a substitute in the 62nd minute, Griezmann took a few minutes to make his presence felt as he dodged the Getafe’s defences to net the third goal from around the box to make it 3-0 for Atletico.

Meanwhile, in another match of the day, Athletic Club and Mallorca held each others’ strikers as the two teams started their campaigns with a goalless draw.

Both sides received a number of chances to make the scoreboard move, however, found unable to seize the opportunity and put their side in command.

The action-filled tournament is being telecasted live on Pakistan’s first HD Sports channel – A Sports and will be simultaneously streamed on the digital platform of ARY Digital Network – ARY ZAP in crystal clear HD quality.

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