Three takeaways from Real Madrid’s draw against Getafe
By Andrew Gomes
Real Madrid failed to create any meaningful chances against Getafe in Thursday night’s match as both sides could only manage 21 shots total. Here are three takeaways from the draw.
1. Real Madrid had another good defensive performance.
Despite dropping points, Los Blancos came away with another clean sheet, stopping Getafe’s streak of seven goals in the last four matches. With only two changes in the back line from Real Madrid’s Sunday night match, we saw an effective defensive performance.
The back four – along with Casemiro – combined for a total of 30 clearances. Nacho, who slotted in for Vallejo, didn’t miss a beat and looked comfortable all night. The same can be said about Sergio Reguilón, who was actually an improvement from Marcelo.
Overall, there are many positive signs in the defensive scheme and the team as a whole seems to be starting to defend more as a unit. This could possibly be one of the things Zidane is keen to work on in order to truly compete for the La Liga title next season.
2. The offensive quandary
Probably the most worrying aspect of the match was Real Madrid’s inability to create any decent chances at all. Gareth Bale seemed too isolated on the left, Karim Benzema couldn’t hold on to the ball long enough to get a clear shot before being crowded by Getafe’s defenders, and the midfield felt completely disconnected moving forward.
The overall lack of creativity moving forward, specifically by the midfield, is a glaring issue and Zidane will need to find better solutions if he wants to rotate Toni Kroos and Luka Modric out. This is not to say that other midfield options are incapable of performing to a higher standard, but considering that Toni and Luka are among the best midfielders in the world respectively, it’s obvious the team will need to compensate for their absence.
Next. Player ratings from the goalless draw between Real Madrid and Getafe. dark
3. Brahim Diaz is awesome, but let’s not get too excited just yet
Like many during the match, I also loved Brahim’s performance. He was everywhere, exceptionally energetic, effective in dribbling and possession, and had some scary good touches. It was very reminiscent of Vinícius, he clearly has no fear when taking on defenders and will take any chances he gets so it’s perfectly acceptable to be excited about him.
The sample size though, is just too small to really understand his ceiling, consistency, and overall fit into the squad for the coming season. There’s no doubt that he’s a talent and it’s clear why Real Madrid signed him, let’s just give him some breathing room.