One day after Barcelona dropped points against Las Palmas, Real Madrid cruised to victory over Getafe, putting Carlo Ancelotti's men within striking distance of the top spot in La Liga.
Real Madrid was in desperate need of a bounceback after a disappointing 2–0 defeat to Liverpool in the Champions League. The defending Spanish and European champions fell to 24th in the Champione League league phase standings with just six points from their opening five matches.
Despite Los Blancos' midweek struggles at Anfield, Ancelotti's squad returned to winning ways in La Liga with a comfortable 2–0 win over Getafe. Not only did Real Madrid receive a huge injury boost with the return of Rodrygo, but Lucas Vázquez got the nod on the right flank, allowing Fede Valverde to assume his natural role in the midfield.
Jude Bellingham bagged his third goal in as many La Liga matches, scoring Real Madrid's winner from the spot in the 30th minute. Kylian Mbappé doubled the hosts' lead just eight minutes later with a strike from distance that glanced off the post to beat David Soria.
Here's three takeaways from Real Madrid's dominant victory over Getafe.
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Real Madrid pulls within one point of Barcelona
Just one month ago, Barcelona fired four goals past Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu and took a commanding lead in the La Liga standings. But Hansi Flick's side went on to collect only four points from its next four domestic matches, leaving the door open for Real Madrid to get back into the title race.
Real Madrid flushed its El Clásico defeat and responded with three consecutive victories in La Liga. Ancelotti's side now sits second in the standings with 33 points, just one point behind the Catalans. Real Madrid, though, has a game in hand. Should Los Blancos collect all three points from its postponed fixture against Valencia, they will top the table.
Mbappé takes a small step forward
Without Vinícius Júnior to carry the goalscoring load, Mbappé has more pressure on his shoulders than ever before. He did not meet those expectations when he failed to convert from the spot against Liverpool, but he sent Ancelotti and a sea of white shirts to their feet when he found the back of the net against Getafe.
After not scoring for a month, Mbappé now has two goals in his last two La Liga matches. The France international brings his total haul to 10 goals across all competitions in his debut season with Real Madrid.
Still, there are worrying moments when watching Mbappé play. Bellingham stepped up to take Real Madrid's penalty tonight in place of his new teammate, who would normally be Real Madrid's penalty taker while Vinícius Júnior recovers from injury. Mbappé also could have had at least one more goal from open play on the night, but he sent a shot wide in the 74th minute.
The ex-Paris Saint-Germain man has yet to truly find his form in a white shirt, but as long as Real Madrid keeps collecting domestic victories, Mbappé will get a pass.
Real Madrid can survive this injury crisis
If Real Madrid's victory over Getafe proved anything, it is that Los Blancos can keep the pressure on Barcelona even without some of its best players. Vinícius Júnior, Eduardo Camavinga, Dani Carvajal, Éder Militão, David Alaba and Aurélien Tchouaméni are all sidelined, yet Ancelotti's squad was firmly in control of the match. Even when Bellingham went off at halftime after a collision with Soria, the hosts never looked in danger of dropping points.
Players are stepping up all over the pitch. Arda Güler continues to dazzle with the ball at his feet, Dani Ceballos's defensive efforts help stabilize the midfield and Fran García is building chemistry with Mbappé in attack.
The most impressive performance, though, comes from 21-year-old Raúl Asencio. The former Real Madrid Castilla player has just four senior team appearances and Real Madrid has keep a clean sheet in three of them. The defender is physical, smart and looks right at home alongside Antonio Rüdiger.
Yes, Real Madrid needs Vinícius Júnior, Camavinga, Alaba and Tchouaméni back if it wants to retain its La Liga and Champions League titles, but for now, the team looks more than capable of surviving this recent injury crisis.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Real Madrid Pulls Within One Point of Barcelona With Victory vs. Getafe: Three Takeaways.
