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Final score: Getafe 1-2 Real Madrid
Goals: Jorge Molina 56' (Getafe); Karim Benzema 39' (Real Madrid), Cristiano Ronaldo 85' (Real Madrid)
In Zinedine Zidane's 100th game in charge of Real Madrid, his side fought hard to claim all three points against a spirited Getafe side. The immediate game after the international break is always a tough one for teams and it proved to be just the case for Real Madrid as they again failed to rack in the goals and more significantly, deliver a satisfying performance.
Karim Benzema marked his return with a goal, whereas Cristiano Ronaldo scored the winner as his first La Liga goal of the season to bail his team out of trouble. Jorge Molina scored for the hosts but it was a tad bit offside, which took some sheen off a well-deserved Getafe goal.
Zidane continued his rotation policy by keeping the likes of Luka Modric and Isco on the bench and resting Casemiro, a move which could have easily backfired. On that note, let's head right in and look at the five talking points from Real Madrid's hard-fought 2-1 win over Getafe:
#5 Karim Benzema marks his return with a goal
A drab first 40 minutes of the game saw its most interesting bit of action when a Real Madrid fan dressed as Ronaldo stormed on the pitch to meet his idol, the real Cristiano Ronaldo. Meanwhile, Real Madrid were enjoying possession and creating a host of half chances, with Benzema being the fulcrum of this Madrid side.
The Frenchman had made an early return from injury and looked sharp with his turns and touches. It is observed that Cristiano Ronaldo's game flourishes with Karim Benzema by his side, which was the case yet again with the duo linking up well to trouble the Getafe backline.
Benzema created numerous chances for Ronaldo but the great man was having one of those frustrating nights until the 85th minute, more on that later. Five minutes from half-time, Benzema latched onto a deflection from Fayçal Fajr and blazed towards the goal.
He slotted the ball into the bottom corner to score his first goal of the season and give Real Madrid a much-needed advantage going into the halftime break.
The much-maligned striker amongst his own fan base was criticized a lot in his last game for his wastefulness in a 2-2 draw against Valencia, but the gritty striker showed his worth to this Real Madrid side yet again by putting in a great shift.
#4 A laboured win for Real Madrid, again...
With a win over Getafe and FC Barcelona's 1-1 draw against Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid have lessened the Catalans' deficit at the top to five points. Three league wins on a trot have given an impression that things are back on track for Los Blancos after an eerily slow start in the league. But, the performance again tells a different story.
Real Madrid fought valiantly and went on to win the game with a late winner but this has been the case far too many times in the league already this season. Zidane's men have reserved their best performances for the UEFA Champions League until now, but have laboured their way through, so far, in their defence of the Spanish title.
A brilliant stat to possess!
Wastefulness in front of the goal, sloppy in possession and vulnerable on counter attacks have been some of the critiques being made on Real this season, which were starkly evident against Getafe too. The situation must improve, or FC Barcelona may run away with the league even before Christmas.
#3 Getafe pass another test with a respectable outing
When this side from the capital city had made the jump from the Segunda division to La Liga this past summer, many had predicted it to be a tough challenge for Getafe to maintain their status in the first division.
The announcement of fixtures did not aid their cause with the promoted side given a task of hosting four of last season's top five teams in their first four home games.
But against all odds and courtesy of some fine management by Jose Bordalas, Getafe have impressed in each one of their games against the elite teams. Just like FC Barcelona had to toil hard for three points against Getafe, Real Madrid had to use every ounce of their energy to leave Estadio Coliseum Alfonso Perez with a win.
Earlier this season, against Getafe, Sevilla met the same fate, whereas Villarreal were thrashed 4-0. One thing that's certain by looking at Getafe's performances this season is that this team is here to stay! And for a long time!
#2 Zinedine Zidane reaches a milestone
Zizou is rightfully considered as a legend in this part of the world with his achievements as a player and now as a manager, taking Real Madrid to the next level. The Frenchman reached a milestone of managing 100 games for Real Madrid against Getafe in what turned out to be a happy encounter for the manager.
Out of 100, Zidane has won 75, drawn 17 and lost a paltry 8 matches. Though he has won a bucket load of trophies since taking over from Rafa Benitez, his record is the worst in the first 100 games, when compared to Jose Mourinho and Carlo Ancelotti.
Mourinho had won 77 out of 100 whereas the Italian tasted victory 78 times.
Though Zidane's men have also scored fewer than they did under their previous managers and have also conceded more goals, Real Madrid have won as many trophies under Zidane as under Jose Mourinho and Carlo Ancelotti combined (seven).
This is the stat that will matter to the club hierarchy who will hope that Zidane reaches the next milestone of 200 games as successfully as this one.
#1 Cristiano Ronaldo - the saviour
If Real Madrid had lost points against Getafe, the blame would have been on the shoulders of Cristiano Ronaldo, as the superstar missed a ton of chances against Getafe. Some tough, some half chances, whereas, some, embarrassing. One chance that Ronaldo missed was from unbelievably close - a miss which had all the ingredients to become a viral hit.
But as has been the case with great goalscorers, they can change a dismal outing into a memorable one with just one swing of a foot. This is exactly Ronaldo did!
When Real Madrid were on the brink of losing more ground in the league, the talisman hit a sweet half-volley from an Isco pass five minutes from time to score a winner and finally got of the mark in La Liga.
This was Ronaldo's first league goal of the season and he made sure that it earned his side all three points.
It has been a difficult season for Ronaldo, with a five-match domestic ban and some below-par performances having turned the heat on him, but the winner against Getafe may set the tempo for Real Madrid to work with in the near future.
The last week or so has seen Lionel Messi gathering appreciation from around the world for his exploits with Argentina, and it was time, that Ronaldo, the 'World Player of the Year' took matters into his own hands to come into the spotlight, doing what he does best - scoring for Real Madrid.
