Real Madrid seeks its domestic consolation against a Getafe in need
The whites, with rotations and thinking about the Champions League, want to ‘sleep’ seconds beating a blue team that risks their lives
MADRID, 12 May. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Real Madrid will host Getafe CF this Saturday (9:00 p.m.) on matchday 34 of LaLiga Santander, a duel that comes in the middle of the Champions League semifinals against Manchester City, which will cause rotations in a white team that will seek ‘sleeping’ second in the table as a domestic consolation, while the azulón team need the three points to abandon relegation and increase their faith in permanence.
A 2023 full of domestic setbacks left Real Madrid with no real options to fight for a LaLiga title that FC Barcelona could win this weekend if they beat Espanyol. Thus, the national commitments of the madridistas, with two wins in the last four league games, are already a mere formality and tests to manage the effort, and this matchday is the best example.
The meringues drew (1-1) against Manchester City in the first leg of the Champions League semifinals, a competition in which they defend their throne and are just one game away from repeating the final. However, that match leaves everything open for a round to be played this Wednesday, so everything points to Carlo Ancelotti making notable changes to his ‘eleven’ for this Saturday.
Real Madrid will receive the azulón team without the suspended Carvajal or the ‘touched’ Benzema, Alaba and Rodrygo, while Mendy and Ceballos are available again, already fully recovered from their respective injuries. Given the little importance of the duel, Ancelotti advanced that he will line up a “fresh and energetic” team, so everything indicates that the second unit will take a step forward.
“Tomorrow’s team will be very competitive, but I’m not going to risk it, because we have fresh players. It’s a demanding game, Getafe is fighting not to be relegated. We need freshness and energy, that’s why the team will be fresh and energetic” , the Italian coach advanced in the previous one.
Thus, Lucas Vázquez, Nacho Fernández, Tchouameni and Asensio would start, as would Militao, who missed the first match against City due to suspension. Given the presumable absence of the French ‘9’, Mariano or Hazard would take his place, while Odriozola and Vallejo also await their turn, in the most propitious match for the less common.
That ‘B’ unit of the meringues will have the mission of continuing to lubricate the team’s gear and maintain the positivism and positive dynamics with which Real Madrid ended against City. The squad cannot afford another mistake that brings doubts and concern once again before the most important game of the season.
Recovering second place, occupied by Atlético de Madrid by just one point, will be the main incentive and domestic consolation, at a Bernabéu where they have only lost one of their last 20 league games. Furthermore, their opponent cannot boast of a good performance in the white temple, where they have not won since 2008.
But the situation of the azulones is urgent, third from last with 34 points. Those from the south of Madrid sense that it is a good time to visit the Bernabéu, since they are risking their lives and the local team will face the match aware that on Wednesday they will play more. In addition, they come to the great challenge with confidence, after the first victory with Bordalás on the bench, after a month of April without victories that ended up condemning him to fight to avoid ‘burning’ until the end.
However, the balance away from the Coliseum is disastrous, without taking the three points in any of the last 10 starts (3E and 7D). The little offensive production that is slowing down the potential of a team called to be much higher in the table does not help either. Only 3 goals in favor in the last seven games, coinciding with a streak of 4 losses, two draws and only one win.
“We know that we have to play a great game to get a good result. Scoring at the Bernabéu is a good result for any rival, because we know how difficult it is to do it,” the coach of a Getafe team that won last year analyzed in the preview. in his fief to the whites, against whom he has chained 13 defeats in a row at the Bernabéu.
Getafe attends this event without the suspended Enes Ünal, scorer of 14 goals in the League, and Damián Suárez, as well as with the doubts of Gonzalo Villar, Arambarri and Latasa, with Milla already recovered. Juan Iglesias will occupy the right side, leaving his most advanced position on the end to Portu. With Mata fixed in attack, Mayoral and Munir are fighting to be his partner at the top, while in defense Duarte and Alderete could be Djené’s companion.
DATASHEET.
–POSSIBLE ALIGNMENTS:
REAL MADRID: Courtois; Lucas Vázquez, Militao, Rüdiger, Nacho; Tchouameni, Ceballos, Valverde; Asensio, Mariano and Hazard.
GETAFE: Soria; Iglesias, Djene, Mitrovic, Alvarez; Portu, Arambarri, Maksimovic, Aleña; Mayoral and Mata.
–REFEREE: Martinez Munuera (C. Valenciano).
–Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.