Real Madrid reasserted themselves in the La Liga title race despite their injury woes by beating city rivals Getafe on Sunday night.
Jude Bellingham opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 30th minute before Kylian Mbappe bagged his tenth goal of the campaign with a well-taken finish.
Getafe hit the woodwork a couple of times but couldn’t force the ball over the line and remain near the bottom of the Spanish top flight.
How the match unfolded
Plenty of the pre-match conjecture centred around Madrid’s vast problems. The defeat to Liverpool highlighted a number of issues currently plaguing Carlo Ancelotti, with key personnel again missing from the Italian’s squad.
Thnakfully, there was some respite on the fitness front. Rodrygo was fit to start after a period on the sidelines and had the Bernabeu crowd on their feet begging for a penalty when he went down in the penalty area, though nothing was awarded.
Some anxiety set in among the supporters, but the hosts were gifted the chance to go ahead on the half-hour mark when Antonio Rudiger was wrestled to the floor by Allan Nyom. Fascinatingly, it was Bellingham who stepped up to convert after Mbappe’s nightmare spot-kick at Anfield.
The England international kept his cool when his French teammate couldn’t in midweek, with a hop, skip and a jump flummoxing David Soria before the ball hit the back of the net.
Getafe might have hoped to prey on some of the glaring weaknesses currently present in Madrid’s game plan, but instead they quickly found themselves 2-0 behind. They left too much space in behind and the ball was turned over rapidly to Mbappe, who took a touch before curling delightfully off the post and in.
A mis-hit Federico Valverde cross so nearly found its way into the goal to make it 3-0, but Getafe just about managed to reach half-time two goals down instead of three.
Bellingham came off at half-time and Madrid were soon handed another penalty, this time for an alleged handball against Juan Berrocal. However, a video assistant referee check confirmed the ball hit his leg instead and the decision was overturned.
Getafe, who have scored only ten league goals so far this season, nearly found their way back into the contest as they hit the woodwork through substitute Christantus Uche with Thibaut Courtois well beaten.
The visitors enjoyed a period in the ascendancy but ultimately couldn’t make it count, with Madrid instead getting more chances to extend their lead. Mbappe went through one-on-one but fluffed his lines with a heavy touch after rounding the goalkeeper, who then blocked another of his efforts a few moments later.
Diego Rico flashed one just past Courtois’ post and, even though Madrid looked more likely to grab a third goal, Getafe then nearly grabbed a consolation, only for John Patrick’s strike to hit both the crossbar and post before bouncing to safety.
Madrid ended up seeing out the final moments to secure the victory, taking them within a point of La Liga leaders Barca with a game in hand.
After Mbappe’s miss at Anfield, Madrid fans might have cringed slightly when their side were awarded a penalty.
However, it wasn’t the Frenchman who stepped up from the spot. Instead, Bellingham took on the mantle and did his best Jorginho impression to find the back of the net.
Los Blancos are in dire need of some leadership and got it in buckets from Bellingham, who has now scored in three league games in a row after a barren start to the season.
If there’s one thing Mbappe will be judged on at Madrid, it’s goals. The Bernabeu has hosted some of the greatest scorers in football history and the 25-year-old is expected to follow in the footsteps of the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema with a huge tally of goals himself.
He didn’t always look full of confidence on Sunday, however. Despite getting his goal with a brilliant strike, Mbappe butchered a number of opportunities to put the game to bed, often being left frustrated by the saves of Getafe goalkeeper David Soria.
Mbappe now has ten goals in 19 appearances for Madrid. It’s not the haul fans had hoped for after his free arrival from Paris Saint-Germain, but there’s still a lot of the season remaining and he could use this game as a springboard to reach greater heights.
Somewhat surprisingly, Madrid remain right in the hunt for the La Liga title.
Barca started the campaign in hot form but their performances have sagged of late, with Saturday’s defeat to Las Palmas opening the door to Madrid. They seem worryingly dependent on a 17-year-old and their own inconsistency could well benefit Los Blancos down the stretch.
Madrid are, after all, the defending champions. They know how to get the job done and have a squad filled with the required quality to win La Liga. Some remedies are obviously needed for their many injured stars, but to be such major protagonists in the title race despite suffering so many casualties in 2024/25 so far has to be seen as a win for Ancelotti.