Real Madrid recovered from a midweek defeat to Liverpool to secure a routine 2-0 win over Getafe on Sunday. Ancelotti made several changes to his side as they looked to close the gap on Barcelona at the top of the La Liga table.
A tentative start from both sides saw Madrid dominate possession, without really creating anything of note. That was until former West Brom man Allan Nyom bundled over Antonio Rudiger in the penalty area right in front of the referee. Jude Bellingham did the rest with the spot-kick, sending the goalkeeper the wrong way having previously complained about not being allowed to take a penalty this season.
Bellingham then turned provider, playing an inch perfect pass in behind to set free Kylian Mbappe, who finished expertly to double the advantage. Getafe substitutes Christantus Uche and John Finn came closest to finding a goal for the visitors, both hitting the woodwork in the second period. An open goal miss from a tight angle via Mbappe was the closest home fans came to seeing a third goal, as Madrid eased to a much-needed victory.
|Real Madrid vs. Getafe - Match Statistics|
|70|Possession (%)|30|
|13|Shots|7|
|4|Shots on Target|3|
|5|Corners|3|
|7|Fouls|26|
|2|Yellow Cards|5|
|---|
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Match Highlights
Real Madrid Player Ratings
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GK - Thibaut Courtois - 6/10
Little for Courtois to do, not that it will concern him. An easy afternoon's work for the Belgian.
RB - Lucas Vazquez - 6/10
Vazquez did a good job providing protection to his young partner next to him. A captain's performance where he made sure to keep the team moving as one on and off the ball.
CB - Raul Asencio - 7/10
The 21-year-old continued his recent breakout in the first team with another assured performance. A clean sheet will only help his confidence grow.
CB - Antonio Rudiger - 7/10
A typically strong performance by Rudiger, who also did his bit at the other end of the pitch by winning a penalty. Won all of his ground duels in the first half.
LB - Fran Garcia - 7/10
The camera panned to a frustrated Ferland Mendy watching on from the bench, but Garcia showed why he was trusted from the start by Ancelotti with a solid outing from left-back.
CM - Federico Valverde - 7/10
Aside from the goalscorers, Valverde was the most impressive performer on the pitch. The Uruguayan put on a busy display and continued to show why he was one of the best midfielders in the world.
CM - Dani Ceballos - 6/10
A solid if uninspiring display from the former Arsenal loanee. Was the weaker of the three starting midfielders and also picked up a yellow card as he sat a little deeper.
CM - Jude Bellingham - 8/10
Cooly finished from the spot to get the hosts on their way before producing the moment of the match to find Mbappe for the second. Much more like it from Bellingham.
RW - Brahim Diaz - 5/10
Not much to note about Brahim Diaz's performance. Madrid were more threatening from the left and the winger had a relatively quiet afternoon.
ST - Rodrygo - 6/10
Rodrygo felt a bit wasted down the middle as it didn't allow him to get involved with the game as much. He did work hard for the team though, as others got their rewards.
LW - Kylian Mbappe - 7/10
Boy oh boy how Kylian Mbappe needed his goal. It was a very well taken effort too, finding the inside of the post from distance. The cherry on top of a decent performance, but the Frenchman can still do better as he continued to be wasteful in other moments.
SUB - Arda Guler - 7/10
Replacing Bellingham at half-time, it was some valuable minutes for the Turkish starlet, who did carry a real threat on the ball. Time is going to have to come soon for Guler to receive more game time in order for him to fulfill his undeniable potential.
SUB - Luka Modric - 7/10
Always a pleasure to see Modric strutting his stuff. He took control of the midfield as the game wore on. A Rolls-Royce midfielder even at his advanced age.
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Getafe Player Ratings
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GK - David Soria - 5/10
Not much that Soria could've done about either goal. He may be disappointed by being beaten from distance for Mbappe's strike, but it was as accurate a finish as you're likely to see.
RB - Juan Iglesias - 4/10
Not helped by Nyom's poor performance ahead of him, it is a struggle for any defender to stop Mbappe when in full flight. Igelsias was unable to do that, even with the Frenchman not being at his best.
CB - Domingos Duarte - 5/10
Probably Getafe's best defender overall. He looked rather comfortable considering the quality of the attack he was up against. That being said, he could've done a better job in closing down Mbappe for his goal.
CB - Juan Berrocal - 5/10
Almost conceded the most ridiculous penalty ever seen - slipping over and blocking a shot with his shin, which saw the referee give a spot kick for handball. Thankfully, VAR offered Berrocal a reprieve, but it was his only one of the evening.
LB - Diego Rico - 5/10
A quieter afternoon for Rico than his counterparts on the right. But still not a brilliant display.
RM - Allan Nyom - 2/10
Such a needless penalty to concede, especially considering the visitors were doing well to frustrate Madrid prior to the challenge. It summed up Nyom's afternoon.
CM - Luis Milla - 5/10
Better than his midfield partner but still not a performance Milla will be too pleased with as Getafe were dominated in the middle of the park.
CM - Omar Alderete - 3/10
Alderete almost lost possession as many times as he played a pass. In a game like this, you can't afford to give the ball away so cheaply.
LM - Carles Perez - 5/10
Perez didn't do enough to threaten the less comfortable Vazquez. Luckily, Diaz's performance in the other direction didn't emphasise his struggles anymore.
ST - Mauro Arambarri - 4/10
Was substituted at half-time and understandably so. He played just one pass with his nine touches.
ST - Alvaro Rodriguez - 5/10
A bigger threat than Arambarri, but was still wasteful overall against an inexperienced defender that he could've put under more pressure.
SUB - Christantus Uche - 6/10
Uche provided Getafe's brightest moment of the game with his brilliant turn and strike that smacked the front of Thibaut Courtois' post.
SUB - Coba Da Costa - 5/10
Getafe were noticeably more of a sustained threat after their half-time changes, with Da Costa being one of those to keep Madrid defenders on their toes.
SUB - Alex Sola - 6/10
A far bigger threat than the man he replaced in Perez, but not able to do much that was meaningful.
SUB - John Finn - 6/10
A great moment for the young Irishman, getting some time on the Santiago Bernabeu pitch. He came agonisingly close to finding the net, hitting the bar and inside of the post with an effort that had Courtois beaten all ends up.
SUB - Yellu Santiago - 5/10
Not on the field long enough to impact the game.
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Player of the Match
Jude Bellingham
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In truth, the game wasn't a classic, but the biggest moments of quality came from Los Blancos' instrumental Englishman. Many have complained that Bellingham has not reached the same level as last season, while the man himself will claim he hasn't been used in enough attacking areas since Kylian Mbappe arrived.
Today, he made sure to make the most of his offensive opportunities. His penalty was among the coolest you'll ever see - as was his celebration in front of Soria. However, the more impressive piece of play was his beautiful ball to send Mbappe away for Madrid's second. He never really got out of second gear before being replaced at half-time, but in the end, the hosts didn't need to for the points to stay with them.