Getafe Defeats Real Madrid 0-1: in LaLiga

Real Madrid barely broke a sweat tonight. Ancelotti's boys controlled the game from start to finish. Luka made himself the man of the ball, and when the Croatian is in that role is going to be very difficult for other teams to take control of the match. Vinicius was a continuous threat on the left. Djene will have nightmares tonight. But his second half was not great, as if the team didn't want to attack. For the Merengues, the team clearly was thinking of the Champions League. The energy they put in the second half was the one of a team looking not to injure themselves and to try just to control the ball. Ancelotti did not seem content with the performance, with a World Cup looming and the Champions League in addition to el clásico next week. It is normal to think they played with the hand break on. The Champions of Europe and the defending champions of La Liga yet again showcased their caliber when the Los Blancos went on to take all three points against Getafe in a relatively easy fixture. This victory over their lowly positioned team helps Real Madrid temporarily take the top spot of the table, with Barcelona yet to play their match against Celta Vigo.

Three points hereby ensure the Madrid side will head into the El Classico with a positive mindset. Center-back Eder Militao scored the only goal of the game in what appears to be a rather uneventful match. The Madrid outfits scored the goal in the 3rd minute of the game and held on to their lead. Real Madrid not only enjoyed the majority of possession but also was the dominating side throughout the game, but Vinicius Jr and Co failed to find the back of the net despite creating a plethora of opportunities. Before the end of the first half, penalty claims for a foul on Vinicius were canceled by the VAR.

Minutes before the hour mark saw Rodrygo’s goal yet again overturned by the video assistant referee. Carlo Ancelotti decided to throw the dice and brought on a chain of substitutions to give the necessary rest to his starting XI players. However, with nothing major happening, the game came to an end with Real Madrid climbing to the top of the points table.


Getafe vs Real Madrid Starting XI:

Getafe  XI –Soria; Suarez, Mitrovic, Duarte, Djene, Angileri; Alena, Milla, Algobia; Unal, Mayoral

Real Madrid XI – Lunin; Carvajal, Militao, Alaba, Rudiger; Modric, Tchouameni, Camavinga; Valverde, Vinicius, Rodrygo.

Manchester City Defeat Real Madrid in Champions League Semis

Manchester City will take a slender lead into their Champions League semi-final second leg against Real Madrid after a sensational game at the Etihad Stadium. Pep Guardiola’s side were 4-3 winners but, somehow, were left to rue a number of other big chances. They were punished by the ruthless visitors who, thanks to Karim Benzema and Vinicius Junior, were able to stay within touching distance of their opponents. Kevin De Bruyne opened the scoring inside two minutes with the fastest goal in Champions League semi-final history before Gabriel Jesus doubled the lead nine minutes later. An excellent Benzema volley which came out of nothing - halved the deficit to make it 2-1 at half-time.

 

There was much more of the same in the second period and it took Phil Foden just seven minutes to restore his side’s two-goal lead. Although, that lasted all of two minutes as Vinicius finished off a brilliant run with an extremely cool finish. City came again as Bernardo Silva sent a rocket beyond Thibaut Courtois and into the top corner to make it 4-2 but Benzema ensured their lead would be cut to just the single goal for the second leg. After Aymeric Laporte was adjudged to have handled the ball inside the penalty area, the Real Madrid striker held his nerve to chip his spot kick past the diving Ederson. The two teams will do battle next Wednesday at the Bernabeu to determine which side will play in the Champions League is just over a month’s time. Two of Manchester City goalscorers this evening have been thrust in front of the media straight after the game and they have echoed much of what the viewers will have been saying, I'm sure. Firstly, Phil Foden. "For the fans watching, it was obviously a great game of football, a lot of goals," he said. "We're coming up against a team that has won the Champions League many times and we know that if we give the ball away in dangerous areas, they're going to punish us. It's something we need to work on in the second leg and the game's still on." Secondly. Bernardo Silva. "I honestly think that the first 20 minutes we were so, so good," he added. "The way we pressed, the way we controlled the game, the way we created chances and over the 90 minutes, it felt like we could've won with a better score. Unfortunately we were not able to take advantage of our two-goal advantages but that's the Champions League. We played against one of the best teams in the world and it's still a good score for us." Tonight has shown exactly why the Champions League is the absolute pinnacle of world football. The referee brings an end to the game of the season at the Etihad where both teams more than played their part. Manchester City will be scratching their heads as to how they are only a goal in front heading to the Bernabeu but it is a lead, all the same. Guardiola and Ancelotti share a smile after the final whistle and they certainly won't be the only ones smiling after that truly brilliant game of football.