With an eye on Saturday’s Copa del Rey final showdown with Barça in mind, Carlo Ancelotti made six changes to the line-up which defeated Athletic Club 1-0 three days ago for this short trip to the southern outskirts of the Spanish capital.
Jose Bordalas’ side were not afraid to ruffle the feathers of their illustrious opponents, and could have taken an early lead when Luis Milla forced an early save from Thibaut Courtois.
There was a good ebb and flow to the contest, as Borja Mayoral headed wide from a Juan Iglesias cross before Fran Garcia was denied by David Soria at the end of a blistering break forward.
Los Blancos did not have to wait too much longer to break the deadlock, and it came courtesy of Arda Guler’s superb long-range strike after Getafe failed to clear their defensive lines.
Endrick had an opportunity to double Real’s lead following a neat one-two with Vinicius Junior, but Azulones skipper Djené cleared the Brazilian's effort off the line.
Two Getafe substitutes combined in a bid to restore parity after the restart, as Real loanee Álvaro Rodríguez met Coba da Costa’s cross with an eye-catching header that skimmed the roof of the net. Ancelotti’s men pressed forward in search of second, with Soria called into action to make a fine save to keep out a Brahim Díaz strike.
Vinicius Junior was working tirelessly down the left-hand side, and almost acquired the goal he deserved for his endeavour, cutting inside off the wing before sending a right-footed attempt over the bar. However, the hosts always looked threatening on the break, and Bordalás stared down at the turf in frustration when Mauro Arambarri fired wide from Mayoral’s enticing delivery from the left flank.
Ultimately, Real would get the job done in rather unspectacular fashion to secure back-to-back league wins before taking on Hansi Flick’s side in Seville this weekend. They did not leave the Estadio Coliseum unscathed though, with Ancelotti likely to be sweating on the fitness of Eduardo Camavinga, who was forced off due to an apparent groin injury late on.
Meanwhile, Bordalás has now failed to win all 15 of his LaLiga matches as a coach against Los Blancos (D2, L13), as Getafe remain 12th after managing only one home league win in their last eight. (D2, L5).
Flashscore Man of the Match: Vinicius Junior (Real Madrid)
