Saturday 10 September 2011

Preview: Real Madrid vs Getafe (League Day 3)

Real Madrid Vs. Getafe

La Liga returns to the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium. Real Madrid are set to face Getafe at 20:00 (GMT+1) this Saturday and look to earn another victory after their impressive 6-0 win in Zaragoza, in which Cristiano Ronaldo scored a hat-trick. The Portuguese star always scores at least a brace every time he faces Getafe and he currently leads the championship's top scorer ranking with Valencia's Soldado. Real Madrid defeated Getafe in their previous five meetings.

Granero has made Jose Mourinho's cut for the match. Many of the manager's players proved to be in optimum form with their national teams in the last couple of weeks: Ozil scored three goals for Germany; Higuain netted a brace against Nigeria with Argentina; and Di Maria, Benzema and Ronaldo scored one goal each for their national teams. But the FIFA virus strain is milder than in the past. Fifteen players went out, but Carvalho saved efforts with Paulo Bento and the rest of Portuguese and Özil, played only on Friday. Only Higuain and Di Maria endured the beating of traveling to India and Bangladesh. And yet,it seems that the second will start (there is an option to Callejon) and Mourinho will insist on the starting line-up of Zaragoza. Then, if the result comes good, there will be coffee for everyone: Kaka, Higuain (six goals against Getafe) For all except for Lass, soul in purgatory.

When the FIFA virus attacked Real Madrid, disease of the rich, Getafe was walking in worse conditions. So it will be difficult to find the equality lost around La Liga, major question that divides to Spanish football. Luis Garcia, who debuts on the bench for Getafe (due to suspension he had to stay in the stands against Levante on Day 2), walks on the wire. His team has not left the assembly line, with thirteen new players, and three defenders out due to injury, Lopo, Mane and Rafa, and without its three best midfielders players, Gavilan, Diego Castro and Pedro Leon, the latter disqualified on prohibitory clause of fear (two million) revealed by Mourinho. He is not Zidane and Maradona but neither is legit. Michel and Ustari complete the list of absentees. But the team is nevertheless a tough nut to crack. The Blues rely on the vision of former Real Madrid academy player Pablo Sarabia, who has taken the spot left by former Madridista Parejo. Other former Real Madrid youth teamers on the squad are Codina, Miguel Torres, Casquero and Mosquera.

Getafe knows what to expect, but found plenty of variety at the Santiago Bernabeu the last years. Seven times visited the stadium and each time found a different coach in Real Madrid: Garcia Remon, Luxembourg, Capello, Schuster, Juande, Pellegrini and Mourinho. The Portuguese will repeat today, a sign that slows down the unbearable instability in the club.