While Real Madrid will aim to stay firmly in the title race with another win, Getafe will be hoping to snap their two-match losing streak when they host Carlo Ancelotti’s side at Coliseum Alfonso Perez on Wednesday night.
The home team are 12th on the table with 39 points in their 32 outings. They are five points behind seventh-placed RCD Mallorca. With six games to go, Getafe do have an outside chance of finishing in a European spot. But, for that, they need to win a majority of those games.
Unfortunately, the Azulones are not in the best of form, as they have lost three out of their last four league outings. Getafe are heading into this fixture on the back of a 1-0 defeat to Espanyol. They will have to do much better this time around to stand a chance against Los Blancos.
Speaking of, the visitors are second on the table with 69 points in their 32 outings. Real Madrid are four points behind league leaders Barcelona, who will be in action on Tuesday night, the result will give the team in white a fair idea of what needs to be done.
Irrespective of what happens in Barcelona’s game, Real Madrid will have to keep winning to stay within touching distance of Hansi Flick’s team. They are heading into this fixture on the back of a 1-0 win over Athletic Club thanks to an injury-time banger from Federico Valverde.
Ancelotti’s team will hope they can get the job done well within the 90 minutes this time around. The Hard Tackle takes a close look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.
Allan Nyom’s availability will be assessed before this fixture. Meanwhile, Christantus Uche is suspended for this fixture following a red card last time out. Diego Rico is back in the mix after serving a suspension in their last outing.
The home team will line up in a 4-5-1 formation, where David Soria will be in goal. The back four will consist of Djene Dakonam, Domingos Duarte, Omar Alderete, and Diego Rico.
Coba da Costa and Juan Bernat will feature on the flanks in the centre of the park. Meanwhile, Ramon Terrats will start alongside Luis Milla and Mauro Arambarri in a more central role. They will look to ensure the Real Madrid midfielders do not dominate the ball. Finally, Juanmi will lead the line for Getafe against Real Madrid on Wednesday.
Probable Lineup (4-5-1): Soria; Djene, Duarte, Alderete, Rico; Coba, Terrats, Milla, Arambarri, Bernat; Juanmi
With the Copa del Rey final against Barcelona coming up, Carlo Ancelotti might make some significant changes to the starting eleven. The Real Madrid could rest some of his star players and hope the others can do the job for them against Getafe.
The visitors will remain without the services of Eder Militao and Dani Carvajal. Meanwhile, Ferland Mendy and Kylian Mbappe are both a doubt for this fixture. While Mbappe could be fit enough to play a part from the bench, Ancelotti might not take any risks ahead of the Clasico.
Real Madrid will line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, where Thibaut Courtois will be in goal. Lucas Vazquez and Fran Garcia could be the full-backs with Antonio Rudiger pairing up with David Alaba in the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Federico Valverde could from the double pivot alongside Aurelien Tchouaméni. The duo will look to shield the backline and control the tempo of the game. Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Junior could both be rested. Arda Guler could take up the no. 10 role. Brahim Diaz and Rodrygo Goes could feature on the flanks, with Endrick spearheading the attack.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Courtois; Vazquez, Rudiger, Alaba, Garcia; Valverde, Tchouameni; Brahim, Guler, Rodrygo; Endrick
If Carlo Ancelotti does end up handing rest to Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo will be under a lot of pressure to perform and get his team over the line in this all-important fixture. The Brazilian international can certainly step up and deliver.
Rodrygo has been involved in a total of 48 matches this season, and he has contributed towards 23 goals (13 goals, 10 assists). Not only is the 24-year-old in fine form, but he could also get the nod to start on his preferred left flank, a position from which he is more than capable of causing serious damage.
Real Madrid might have one eye on the upcoming Copa del Rey final, but they know the importance of picking up all three points in this La Liga clash. Even with potential changes to the starting XI, Carlo Ancelotti’s men should have enough firepower to see off a struggling Getafe side.
The visitors, on the other hand, have struggled for consistency and have not been able to make the most of home advantage. While their European hopes are not mathematically over, the form and quality of the opposition might be too much to handle. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-0 win for the away team.
