Madrid win with three goals but without playing well
Here’s how things are: Madrid, who have missed out on deserved points because of a lack of goals, won a game 3-0 playing worse than in other games where they failed to score.
Two headers from Varane, who made two rare approaches to the opponent’s area, were enough to ensure Getafe’s collapse and Madrid’s unscathed departure from the always difficult Coliseum Alfonso Pérez.
Then, with the hosts already bored and fed up with everything, the visitors added another to the scoreboard through a beautifully worked defensive counter-attack – Bale playing a magnificent long pass to Valverde, who charged forward before setting up Modric to score into an empty goal. It was the stand-out moment of beauty in an otherwise rough and ugly game.
As per usual, Getafe went out to play in the opponent's half. They suffocated Madrid in the opening – a situation further complicated by the absence of Sergio Ramos. Neither Varane nor Militao looked comfortable, and even less so in the captain’s absence.
Zidane left Valverde out from the start based on the logic that the Modric-Casemiro-Kroos-Isco quartet would handle the game better. But that wasn’t to be the case. Getafe got the better of them (except, perhaps, of Modric), pressed high and had several decent shots. Courtois was immense by pulling off three great saves. He kept Madrid alive and ensured they went in at the break with the one-goal lead.
And shortly after the first Varane goal came another (although confirmation could not be given until VAR checked every millimetre). For Getafe that was the end. They were playing better but found themselves 2-0 down. They could not figure out why and were annoyed with the referee for giving several free kicks to Madrid.
Zidane, meanwhile, took advantage of the 2-0 lead towards the end to bring on Jovic, Vinicius and Valverde, who, as usual, put in a stand-out performance. The young Uruguayan has been Madrid’s greatest reinforcement this year.