League leaders Real Madrid will be eyeing their eighth win when they square up against Getafe away from home on Sunday night.

Xabi Alonso’s Real Madrid have bounced back in some fashion since their defeat to rivals Atletico Madrid, and they will be looking to build on their recent results when they travel to Coliseum Alfonso Perez face Getafe.

The home team are 11th on the table, with 11 points in their eight outings. The Azulones have been quite inconsistent of late and are heading into this fixture on the back of a four-match winless run in the league.

In their last outing prior to the international break, they suffered a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Osasuna. While Jose Bordalas’s men did put in a strong fight, they could not create much in the final third. Getafe will be hoping for an improved performance against Los Blancos.

The defeat to Atletico Madrid meant Real Madrid dropped from the summit of La Liga. However, thanks to a slip-up from Barcelona, the Merengues are now back on top. Post that defeat, they smashed Kairat Almaty 5-0 in the Champions League and backed it up with a 3-1 win over Villarreal in La Liga.

Los Blancos certainly looked like a much-improved unit in their last outing, and Alonso will be hoping for a similar performance against Getafe, if not better. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could put to use.

Team News & Tactics

Getafe

The home team will be without Jiri Letacek, who recently picked up a knock. Meanwhile, they do have a massive boost, as Adrian Liso is back available following his involvement in the Under-20 World Cup.

Getafe will line up in a 3-4-1-2 formation, where David Soria will be in goal. The back three will be made up of Djene Dakonam, Abdel Abqar, and Domingos Duarte. The trio will receive significant support from Kiko Femenia and Diego Rico, who will feature as the wing-backs.

As for the midfield unit, Luis Milla will start alongside Mauro Arambarri in the middle of the pitch. The Getafe midfield duo will have a lot of defending to do, and they will look to ensure the Real Madrid midfielders do not dominate the proceedings.

Finally, Mario Martin could take up the number ten role behind the strike partnership of Borja Mayoral and Adrian Liso.

Probable Lineup (3-4-1-2): Soria; Dakonam, Abqar, Duarte; Femenia, Milla, Arambarri, Rico; Martin; Liso, Mayoral

Real Madrid

Xabi Alonso remains without the services of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Dani Carvajal, Antonio Rudiger, Dean Huijsen, and Ferland Mendy. While Alexander-Arnold and Carvajal are back in training, this match comes a touch too early for them.

Kylian Mbappe and Franco Mastantuono are expected to be available for selection, having recovered from the knocks suffered during international duty. Los Blancos should line up in a 4-3-3 formation, where Thibaut Courtois will be in goal.

Federico Valverde will once again fill in at right-back, while Alvaro Carreras will continue on the left. In the heart of the defence, Eder Militao should partner with Raul Asencio. As for the midfield unit, Jude Bellingham should finally get a start here alongside Arda Guler and Aurelien Tchuameni in the centre of the park.

The trio will look to dominate the ball and dictate the tempo of the game. In the final third, Vinicius Junior and Franco Mastantuono will feature on the flanks, while Kylian Mbappe will continue to lead the line for Real Madrid against Getafe this weekend.

Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Courtois; Valverde, Militao, Asencio, Carreras; Guler, Tchouameni, Bellingham; Mastantuono, Mbappe, Vinicius

Key Stats

• Real Madrid have won each of their last seven games against Getafe.
• The two teams have squared up against each other on 40 occasions, and the team in white have won 30 of those games.
• Having had a decent start to the season, Getafe will be eyeing their first top-half finish since the 2019/20 season.
• Getafe are yet to win a league game in well over a year; their last win came against a 10-man Real Oviedo on September 13.
• Los Blancos have only lost once to the Deep Blue Ones away from home since August 2012.

Player to Watch

Franco Mastantuono

Embed from Getty Images

The 18-year-old Argentine international has had a sensational start to life at Real Madrid since joining them from River Plate last summer. The youngster’s impressive performances have earned him an extended run in the first team, and of late, he has been a regular starter for Xabi Alonso’s team.

Mastantuono has been involved in nine out of their ten outings, and he has racked up over 500 minutes of first-team action. The teenage playmaking sensation has also contributed towards two goals, and he will be eager to add to his tally when he takes the field against Getafe.

Prediction

Getafe 0-3 Real Madrid

Real Madrid will head into this fixture full of confidence following their dominant displays against Kairat and Villarreal. Xabi Alonso’s men seem to have rediscovered their rhythm after the setback against Atletico Madrid, with key players like Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior finding top form.

Getafe, meanwhile, will be desperate to end their four-match winless run, but facing a rampant Real Madrid outfit is far from ideal. The hosts have been solid in spells but continue to struggle in the final third, something that could cost them dearly against such a clinical opponent. The Hard Tackle predicts an easy 3-0 win for the visitors.