Real Madrid: 5 takeaways from a grotesque 0-0 draw with Getafe

The fullbacks were awful

I am not going to sugarcoat this one, and I’m sure you knew this was coming. Hell, even before the game started, when most of you saw that Alvaro Odriozola and Marcelo would be starting at the fullback positions, you figured we were in for a rough ride defensively.

Marcelo and Odriozola have, together, been part of some of Real’s worst performances. Remember that loss to Alcoyano? How can anyone forget!

Interestingly enough, they started the match promisingly. Marcelo had a great cross for Mariano that very nearly led to a goal. Odriozola was actually making competent plays defensively, and while he was bumbling around on the right-hand side and failing to make himself available to Marco Asensio, he at least wasn’t embarrassing himself.

But as the game wore on, both men completely unraveled. Victor Chust had to make a few crucial tackles to spare Marcelo’s blushes. Marcelo was limp-jogging back on defense, and I could hear the screams of millions of Madridistas every time he lost track of a runner.

Odriozola tried, but he may have been even worse. It was almost comical watching him find new ways to lose the ball. Sometimes, I wonder where Odriozola learned how to defend. This was a step back for him after a decent second half at Anfield.