The fourth official indicates there will be an additional two minutes at the end of the match!
86'
Kroos opts to curl the free-kick into the danger area for the head of Benzema, though his marker remains touch-tight and Getafe clear the ball with five minutes left in the match.
85'
Dakonam fouls Marcelo just outside the penalty area and he is fortunate to still be on the pitch - having received a yellow earlier. Kroos stands over the free-kick, which is in a very dangerous central position.
83'
With less than 10 minutes to play, Getafe are showing absolutely no signs of forcing their way back into the match. It seems as though the visitors are resigned to defeat, chasing the Madrid players half-heartedly. It has been a clinic today from the home side in Lopetegui’s first match in charge.
79'
Bruno gets yellow.
L. Cabrera gets yellow.
Play is stopped after a brief period of advantage for a foul in midfield, committed by Leandro Cabrera on Asensio.
The same passage of play spawns another card as Bruno Cabrera is guilty of a body check on Lucas Vazquez.
77'
M. Arambarri gets yellow.
Lucas Vázquez enters the game and replaces G. Bale.
Gareth Bale exits to applause from the supporters at the Santiago Bernabeu as he is replaced in the 77th minute by Lucas Vazquez.
Mauro Arambarri is shown a yellow card for going in a bit too hard on Toni Kroos.
73'
Nacho goes into a sliding challenge in the penalty area to win the ball from Rodriguez and gets his timing absolutely perfect – winning the ball without contacting the striker despite going in from an awkward angle.
71'
L. Modrić enters the game and replaces Dani Ceballos.
Ángel Rodríguez enters the game and replaces Jorge Molina.
Luka Modric makes his 2018-2019 season debut at the 71st minute, replacing Dani Ceballos in midfield.
Getafe also make a substitution – their third of the match – with Angel Rodriguez replacing Jorge Molina.
70'
The set-piece is taken long to the far post where it evades everybody in a Getafe kit. Dakonam tries to salvage the ball on the other side but it rolls out for a Real Madrid throw-in.
Minute
Description
68'
Marcelo gets yellow.
Marcelo is shown a yellow card for sliding in on Alejo who was streaking down the right-hand side. Suarez stands over the free-kick looking to deliver into the area.
66'
Getafe have not contributed much in the second half, offering absolutely nothing going forward. To their credit, the inflated score can be attributed to a woeful individual error – though one could argue that Madrid’s play have warranted an even larger advantage, which could have been the case had they struck the net and not the woodwork on two occasions.
64'
Iván Alejo enters the game and replaces Portillo.
Getafe make another switch just after the hour-mark, with Francisco Portillo exiting the pitch in favour of Ivan Alejo.
63'
Jaime Mata gets yellow.
Jaime Mate is shown Getafe’s fourth yellow card of the match after running through the back of Carvajal after trying to latch onto a loose ball.
61'
Asensio fires right at the goalkeeper! After some great combination work just outside the penalty area, Asensio takes Benzema’s lay-off and tries a side-foot shot which is hit centrally – directly into the arms of Soria.
59'
Dakonam flies into a tackle on Asensio in the penalty area and gets his timing spot-on to knock the ball away from the attacker’s foot. The ball goes out for a corner which is taken short – and cleared immediately by Getafe.
58'
Jaime Mata enters the game and replaces A. Ndiaye.
Casemiro enters the game and replaces Isco.
The first substitution of the day goes Real Madrid’s way – with Isco coming off for Casemiro in a slightly defensive swap in midfield.
Getafe answer with a swap of their own – sending Jaime Mata on for Amath Ndiaye who has been contained superbly all match.
57'
Portillo splits the defenders with his lofted pass for Molina but the striker takes ages to bring the ball down off his chest and by the time he gets the ball to his feet, Ramos is there to take away possession.
55'
That must be gut-wrenching for Bordalas who would have hoped for a much more confident start to the second half. Dakonam has looked rather shaky all match, taking a yellow card earlier in the game to break up a counter-attack after horribly misplacing a pass in midfield.
53'
OFF THE POST FROM ASENSIO! Marcelo loses possession in front of the penalty area but the ball drops for Asensio whose run takes him just behind the Brazil full-back in a central position. The young attacker fires an effort quickly on goal and it curls around the goalkeeper but smacks off of the woodwork! Close to 3-0 for Real!
51'
G. Bale has scored a goal for Real Madrid!
GARETH BALE DOUBLES REAL MADRID’S LEAD! Asensio takes the ball from Dakonam who absolutely gifts possession to Real Madrid in front of his penalty box. He then gets away from his man and crosses the ball into the penalty area where it rolls just behind Benzema, but right to Bale who fires a near-post shot which squirms under the arm of the goalkeeper and in! 2-0 Real!
Marco Asensio won’t have an easier assist this season after nicking the ball off the foot of the defender and centring a beautiful pass to Bale.
48'
Neither side have made a change at the half-time interval, with both managers seeing enough on the pitch in the first 45 to continue as is. Getafe will have to prove their manager’s confidence correct – as they must do a lot better in the second period of play.
46'
Getafe get the second half underway down by a single goal!
45'
HALF-TIME: REAL MADRID 1-0 GETAFE.
43'
Kroos takes the free-kick to Ramos who fires the ball into the back of the net with a volley, but the goal is wiped off and a free-kick is given to Getafe after a hold by Ramos on Cabrera.
42'
D. Dakonam gets yellow.
After a very sloppy pass in midfield which gives Benzema a clear run on goal from centre of the park, Djene Dakonam takes down the striker to potentially save a goal. The defender is given a yellow for his infringement.
41'
A. Ndiaye gets yellow.
Amath Ndiaye is shown a yellow card after shoving a fist in the chin of Nacho.
39'
Suarez crosses into the Real Madrid penalty area and the delivery takes a hop and a skip before bouncing into the hands of a grateful Keylor Navas who looks to restart play quickly with a throw.
37'
Madrid give the ball away in a bad position but Portillo’s pass for Molina is intercepted by Kroos on the edge of his own penalty area!
33'
Benzema is played through on goal by Marcelo and the French striker swings the ball to the far post for Ramos who is bowled over by his marker. The referee initially points to the penalty spot, but, after consulting with his linesman, decides to give the Getafe keeper a free-kick. Upon review, it appears that Benzema was offside upon receiving the Marcelo pass. Ultimately, a correct decision from today’s match official.
31'
Portillo almost breaks free after a Kroos giveaway in midfield, but Ramos tracks back with his usual vigour and manages to touch the ball back to Navas who deals with the pressure calmly – distributing a pass to the opposite flank.
29'
The corner is taken short to Isco who then fires it into the centre of the box where Gonzalez meets it with his head to clear it. The ball comes back into the penalty area via Isco on the left, but play is blown dead for an offside call on Ramos.
27'
Jorge Molina gets yellow.
The first yellow card of the game goes to Jorge Molina for a sliding challenge on Kroos. Real take the free-kick quickly and end up winning a corner.
26'
Asensio goes for the glory with a first-timed curling effort from the bottom-right corner of the penalty area in a similar fashion to Bale’s effort 20 minutes previous. The forward gets his angles all wrong however and doesn’t manage to trouble the goalkeeper.
24'
Shibasaki wins the ball in the centre of midfield before distributing it to the left-back, who immediately pumps the ball long for – eventually – Navas in the Real Madrid goal. If Getafe are unable to move the ball up the pitch via a quick counter, they don’t look likely to make it out of their half at all.
22'
Madrid have been the better of the two sides in the opening 20 minutes, and probably deserve their lead midway through the first-half of action. Los Blancos have certainly taken to Lopetegui’s passing style, with the home side looking extremely confident knocking the ball around the pitch.
20'
Dani Carvajal has scored a goal for Real Madrid!
DANI CARVAJAL MAKES IT 1-0 MADRID! Bale puts a cross in from the left-hand side which, after a deflection, is punched away by Soria. Unfortunately for the goalkeeper, his fist puts the ball right onto the head of Carvajal in the penalty area where the right-back obliges with a wonderful looped header which goes just over the head of the shot-stopper. Madrid have the lead!
18'
Marcelo puts in a cross from the same position, this time with his right foot, but Soria is wise to the danger and steps up in his box before punching the danger clear.
16'
OFF THE CROSSBAR FROM BALE! Marcelo receives the ball just outside the penalty area and swings the ball into the 6-yard box where it meets the head of a diving Bale who manages to get in front of Gonzalez who is marking him. Unfortunately for the Madrid forward, his header ricochets off the woodwork before going out for a goal-kick.
14'
Bale swings an audacious ball to the left-hand side for Benzema and it falls perfectly to the feet of the striker who – despite the accuracy of the cross – is immediately dispossessed by the right full-back.
12'
Despite Real’s dominance, they have not managed many clear-cut opportunities to score – with Bale’s denied curler being the best of the first 12 minutes. Getafe are managing to remain compact around their 18-yard box and frustrate Lopetegui’s passing style.
10'
Carvajal gets into his trademark position high on the right wing and floats a cross to the back post for Benzema but the ball is hit with too much pace and it goes over the striker’s head and out for a goal-kick.
8'
Real Madrid are controlling the flow of play in the first 10 minutes of the match, but Getafe have been able to spring a counter-attack on a few occasions due to some sloppy play in the centre of the park. Can the away side use that wasted possession to their advantage and snatch a goal against the run of play?
6'
Great tackle by Isco on the edge of his penalty area to dispossess Ndiaye whose footwork is not good enough to elude the midfielder after receiving a pass from Shibasaki who is making everything tick in midfield for Getafe.
4'
WHAT A SAVE FROM SORIA! Bale is found in the penalty area completely unmarked by a brilliant pass from Isco. Bale takes a touch inside to set himself before curling an effort to the far corner of the goal with his left – only to be sensationally denied by a diving Soria in the Getafe goal!
2'
Shibasaki’s incisive pass for Ndiaye on the wing is cut out well in midfield by the back-tracking Kroos. Real Madrid regain possession and cycle it from right to left building an attack slowly and confidently.
1'
Real Madrid get their season underway from the kick-off at the Bernabeu!
Good evening and welcome to our LIVE commentary of the LaLiga fixture between Real Madrid and Getafe from the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu!
Wednesday’s 4-2 derby defeat to Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Super Cup will be a distant memory for Julen Lopetegui’s side as they look to start their domestic campaign off right. The former Spain manager will take charge of his first LaLiga match since a brief stint with Rayo Vallecano in 2003 – having made a name for himself with the Spain youth sides and in Portugal with Porto.
Getafe are coming off of a season where they finished 8th place, their second-highest finish ever in Spain’s top division. Having just missed out on Europa League qualification by three points to Sevilla, manager Jose Bordalas will have to add some attacking flair to the third-best defence in Spain in 2017-2018.
Lopetegui’s first season coincides with the post-Ronaldo era – an unenviable job to navigate to say the least. His previous work in the youth setup appears to be a good omen for the likes of Marco Asensio and Isco who are both expected to help fill the void left by one of the world’s best players.
22 players in and 21 players out signify an extremely busy summer for Los Azulones, though it looks like the manager has got his message through to the new recruits. Bordalas’ side conceded only once in six pre-season friendlies, keeping clean sheets in their last five.
With 15 minutes to go before kick-off, it’s about time we take a look at how the two sides will be lining up to open the season. Let’s start with Real Madrid!
Real Madrid Starting XI (4-3-3): Keylor Navas; Dani Carvajal, Nacho, Sergio Ramos, Marcelo; Dani Ceballos, Toni Kroos, Isco; Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema, Marco Asensio.
Jose Bordalas goes with a 4-5-1 in an attempt to pack the midfield and stop Real Madrid from playing. Soria starts in goal with a defence of Suarez, Gonzalez, Dakonam and Cabrera protecting him. A central trio of Arambarri, Shibasaki and Maksimovic will operate with Ndiaye and Portillo on the left and right flanks respectively. The lone striker for Getafe today is Molina.
Julen Lopetegui lines Real Madrid up in a 4-3-3 formation and keeps Navas in goal despite the recent signing of Thibaut Courtois. The defence is filled with familiar faces as Marcelo and Carvajal flank the centre-back pairing of Sergio Ramos and Nacho. Toni Kroos has Isco and Dani Ceballos either side of him in midfield and in attack, Asensio and Bale will look to link up with Benzema.
Getafe Starting XI (4-5-1): David Soria; Damian Suarez, Bruno Gonzalez, Djene Dakonam, Leandro Cabrera; Francisco Portillo, Mauro Arambarri, Gaku Shibasaki, Nemanja Maksimovic, Amath Ndiaye; Jorge Molina.
Real Madrid substitutes: Thibaut Courtois, Raphael Varane, Luka Modric, Casemiro Lucas Vazquez, Borja Mayoral, Vinicius Jr.
Getafe have looked decent when Real Madrid’s possession breaks down in midfield, as Shibasaki’s range of passing and industry have been on full display. Ndiaye has been the usual outlet, though not nearly enough. Bordalas’ side do not look involved enough in controlling the flow of the match – with their whole first half dictated to them. They will have to grow in stature and confidence if they wish to take any points from the Bernabeu.
Madrid’s first half of the new season has been extremely positive, leading convincingly despite the slender scoreline. Despite the occasional giveaway – typical for a side playing a new style – the home side have looked imperious. Soria has managed a few wonderful saves to keep the goal count at one, with Gareth Bale and Isco threatening on every occasion.
Real Madrid get their season started with a well-deserved 2-0 win at the Santiago Bernabeu. The score does not do Los Blancos justice, however, as they fully controlled the match from start to finish. Dani Carvajal’s opening header gave Madrid the lead inside 20 minutes, and Gareth Bale doubled the advantage shortly after the restart. Madrid also hit two posts which would have made the result slightly more telling.
Next up for Real Madrid is a trip to Girona next Sunday, while Getafe return to the Coliseum Alfonso Perez on Friday to host Eibar.
Aside from the terrible individual error from Dakonam – Getafe’s defence showed typical organisation and structure. Their great downfall today was being unable to spark anything going forward that wasn’t from a counter-attack. Their forward play seemed very lacklustre as it seems the new season has brought with it similar problems, which Bordalas will have to resolve going forward.
That concludes our LIVE coverage of the LaLiga fixture between Real Madrid and Getafe! We hope you enjoyed the match and we look forward to seeing you all again soon!
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