Real Madrid managers don’t usually get many chances to redeem themselves after heavy home defeats like March’s 4-0 humbling here by Barcelona, their third consecutive competitive home match in which they conceded a first-half opener.
Real Madrid
Despite Real Madrid’s fine 3-1 UEFA Champions League win over Chelsea on Wednesday and their comfortable lead at the top of La Liga, manager Carlo Ancelotti’s job is reportedly at risk with club legend Raúl among those touted as a possible replacement at the season’s end. All that despite Ancelotti closing in on becoming the first man to win each of Europe’s ‘Big Five’ leagues! Even so, Madrid managers don’t usually get many chances to redeem themselves after heavy home defeats like March’s 4-0 humbling here by Barcelona, their third consecutive competitive home match in which they conceded a first-half opener. However, as ‘Los Blancos’ haven’t suffered two straight home league losses since March 2019, another defeat here would come as a huge shock.
Getafe
Getafe gave themselves a little more breathing space above the bottom three by beating Mallorca 1-0 at the weekend in an ill-tempered affair which at one point saw referee Antonio Mateu Lopez dish out four yellow cards in one flourish! They’ll need a more disciplined performance here to have any chance of claiming an unlikely first-ever league double over their near-neighbours. Not since 2007/08 have the ‘Azulones’ triumphed at the Santiago Bernabéu though, so they’re up against it in every sense as they haven’t won an away league game since late April last year too! Unsurprisingly then, they’re the only side to have failed to win in 7 attempts in La Liga away matches entered as outsiders this term.
Vinicius Junior has four goal contributions across his last six matches for club and country, also registering an assist in this fixture last term. For Getafe, Carles Alena has ended up on the winning side in each of his six La Liga goalscoring outings. There’s been at least one red card shown in four of Getafe’s last seven matches.