Real Madrid: 5 key players to watch against Getafe

CF Karim Benzema

Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema has come up big with goals countless times this season. He’s scored crucial goals to rescue points or win the full three points against Atletico Madrid, Sevilla, and Valencia, for example. And this past Sunday, his ingenious backheel flick assist for Casemiro won the game against a tough Espanyol team at the RCDE Stadium.

Benzema may need to come up with the goods again on Thursday night vs. Bordalas’ Getafe, knowing how tough they are defensively. The 32-year-old will have to fight for every inch of space, but even when he doesn’t have much to work with, he can make magic happen. Linking up with Vinicius and Isco could be key for Benzema in this game.

CB Sergio Ramos

Another player capable of supplying a matchwinner, Sergio Ramos has been in even better form than Karim Benzema since La Liga’s return. The Real Madrid captain has eight goals in the league so far this season, with three of them coming in the five games since the restart. Ramos has scored on a counterattack, from the penalty spot, and via a wonderful free kick.

There’s seemingly nothing Ramos can’t do. In Real’s last game against Getafe, Raphael Varane stepped up with a goal and created an own goal, and it could come down to the even more prolific goal-scorer at center back Ramos finding a winner.

Given how clutch Ramos is, you wouldn’t put it past him to deliver the goods in a high-pressured situation. And of course, his defending next to Varane will be important against Getafe’s counterattacks. They didn’t score last time out, but they gave Thibaut Courtois everything he could handle.