Real Madrid vs Getafe

Estadio Santiago Bernabeu is the venue as table-topping Real Madrid take on fellow Madrilean rivals Getafe in a seemingly straightforward La Liga fixture.

Real Madrid have one foot in the Champions League semi-finals following an all-important 3-1 first-leg win away to Chelsea in midweek. Back to La Liga action, ‘Los Merengues’ will be looking to solidify their position at the summit after last weekend’s 2-1 away triumph over Celta Vigo helped them establish a nine-point cushion. Inspired by an eye-catching 12-game winning streak in home La Liga H2Hs, Carlo Ancelotti’s men will be looking to avenge a frustrating 1-0 loss in the reverse fixture. After Barcelona inflicted the first top-flight defeat on Madrid this season in their most recent outing at the Santiago Bernabeu, ‘Los Blancos’ face the prospect of losing back-to-back home league matches for the first time since March 2019. But after shuttting Getafe out in their last three top-flight home H2Hs, they will feel confident about avoiding that scenario.

On the other hand, Getafe eked out a hard-fought 1-0 home win over fellow strugglers Mallorca last time out, snapping a run of six La Liga matches without a victory (D4, L2). ‘El Geta’ cannot afford to get complacent, though, as they still harbour a bridgeable six-point lead on 18th-placed Mallorca. Playing away from home has not been Getafe’s strong suit by any stretch of the imagination. Quique Sanchez Flores’ men are winless in their last 18 La Liga matches on hostile turf (D8, L10), frustratingly failing to get on the scoresheet in 12 of them. Another failed attempt to land all three points would see Getafe set an unwanted club record for the longest-ever winless away streak in their top-flight history.