Having failed to score in seven of their previous eight matches against sides from Madrid, Getafe may have been excused for adopting a cautious approach, yet the hosts were keen to start the new year with a bang. Pouncing on a moment of indecision from Éder Militão, Enes Ünal snatched the ball off the Real Madrid defender, before sliding his sixth goal of the campaign underneath an onrushing Thibaut Courtois.
Beaten cheaply for the first goal, Courtois almost immediately cost his side a second when the Belgian shot-stopper’s mistimed clearance fell to the feet of Sandro Ramírez, but the 26-year-old was unable to sweep home. Visibly shaken, ‘Los Blancos’ slowly found their way into the game, coming closest through a curled Luka Modrić strike from 20 yards out. The crossbar came to Getafe’s rescue on this occasion, with the home side a little fortunate to be ahead at the break.
After receiving a yellow card himself in a frantic first half, a frustrated Carlo Ancelotti rang the changes at HT, bringing on both Marcelo and Eden Hazard. However, neither were able to make an immediate impact, with the visitors’ struggling to break down a resilient Getafe defence. At the opposite end, a stinging Sandro strike required attention from Courtois – food for Real Madrid’s thoughts.
Desperate to find an equaliser, Ancelotti’s side continued to push the hosts towards their own goal, with Casemiro’s half-volley from the edge of the box producing a sprawling save from goalkeeper David Soria. A tame Isco header in added time would be as good as it got for a sluggish Real Madrid, as their six-match unbeaten run on the first game of a calendar year comes to a disappointing end.
