Real Madrid thrashed city rivals Getafe to reduce Barcelona’s advantage at the top of the table to a single point with a 5-1 demolition of El Geta at the Coliseum Alfonso Perez Stadium.
Buoyed by an incredible comeback at home against German side Wolfsburg in the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals, Los Blancos consolidated their ambition for an elusive 33rd La Liga title.
Zinedine Zidane made three changes to the side that started against Wolfsburg, with Raphael Varane, Isco and James Rodriguez starting in place of Sergio Ramos, Luka Modric, and Casemiro.
Getafe stayed at the bottom of the table, getting completely outplayed by a much superior Real Madrid side who ended up with five different players getting on the scoresheet. The Blancos looked bright in both the halves with French striker Karim Benzema putting on a brilliant performance, scoring one and setting up two.
Here are five talking points from the game.
#1 Benzema seemingly unfazed by Euro 2016 snub
Real Madrid’s prolific striker Karim Benzema was dropped by the French Football association due to his involvement in an alleged plot to blackmail France teammate Mathieu Valbuena. Despite being upset and distraught before the game, the French forward put on a stellar display as he bagged a goal and a couple of assists to set up the stellar victory.
The former Lyon striker opened the scoring half an hour into the game, thanks to a beautifully lofted cross from teammate James Rodriguez. The Frenchman later set up Isco and Gareth Bale for the second and third goals of the game.
Getafe’s defense had a hard time dealing with the Real Madrid number nine, as the striker kept on springing up in spaces and creating havoc in the final third.
#2 A good day for Madrid’s attacking triad
Each of Madrid’s three forwards got on the scoresheet with Benzema breaking the deadlock within 20 minutes, Gareth Bale finishing off a swift counterattack right after the break and Ronaldo adding to the team’s tally in injury time.
Madrid have now scored a league-high 98 goals this season, with Cristiano Ronaldo at 31 league goals and Benzema now past the twenty goal mark. Five different players scored for Zinedine Zidane’s side as they stayed hot on arch rivals Barcelona’s heels for the league title.
#3 Getafe’s terrible run continues
Getafe’s terrible season took a turn for the worse as they clearly lacked the necessary spirit to put up a fight against their city rivals. The loss kept them tied at the bottom of the table with Levante and Sporting Gijon, each on 28 points. El Geta are now without a win in their past 13 matches, having managed to score only 29 goals this season.
The two forwards Stefan Scepovic and Alvaro Vazquez remained isolated from the rest of the team for most of the game, the latter being substituted 10 minutes into the second half after a forgettable performance. Getafe’s defense somehow managed to prevent Madrid from scoring even more goals with a string of crucial interceptions, but their midfield remained non-existent.
While winger Pablo Sarabia’s brilliant strike gave Getafe some hope, the Azulones conceded two late goals to manager Juan Esnaider’s disappointment.
#4 Madrid’s defensive woes exposed yet again
The fact that Madrid’s defense has been vulnerable this season isn’t news. The extremely attack centric mentality of fullbacks has cost Los Blancos heavily on various occasions.
Left-back Marcelo was visibly troubled by Pedro Leon’s runs at the beginning of the game. The Brazilian was also guilty of not getting back in defensive position as Getafe missed a great opportunity to score twenty minutes from time. Marcelo later conceded an indirect free-kick after a chaotic situation in Madrid’s penalty area, resulting in another opportunity for Getafe.
While one cannot ignore the skillful full-back’s significant contribution to Real Madrid’s attack, it can’t be denied that such defensive errors can cost the team crucial points in big matches. With Madrid’s season approaching its climax, such mistakes have to be avoided.
#5 On course for the double?
With Barcelona out of the Champions League and stuttering in the domestic league, things can’t get any better for Real Madrid. The Blaugrana have now suffered back to back losses in the domestic league and a 2-0 away defeat to Atletico Madrid saw them out of the European Championship.
Having made it to the UEFA Champions League semi-finals Real Madrid will be looking to complete the double of La Liga title and European cup this season. This dream still seems far-fetched as city rivals Atletico Madrid look to be in an even better position to capitalize on the current situation.
Real Madrid currently sit second on the table; one point shy of the top spot, having played a game more than both Barcelona and Atletico Madrid.
