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NederlandReal Madrid will be looking to strengthen their grip on first position in the La Liga table when they head to Coliseum Alfonso Perez on Sunday afternoon to take on Getafe.
Los Blancos are currently eight points clear of second-placed Sevilla at the top of the division, while Getafe occupy 16th spot, level on points with 18th-placed Alaves on the same number of games (18).
Match preview
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Getafe have won three, drawn six and lost nine of their 18 La Liga matches this season to collect 15 points, which has left them in 16th spot in the table, level on points with 18th-placed Alaves.
The capital side finished 15th in Spain's top flight last term, and the first half of this campaign has suggested that they could be involved in a relegation battle, although the team's recent form has been encouraging.
Indeed, Getafe have only lost one of their last eight in the league and are unbeaten in their last five, including a 1-0 victory over Osasuna in their last match before the winter break in Spain's top flight.
Quique Sanchez Flores's side will face the top two - Real Madrid and Sevilla - in their next two league games, but they have already been knocked out of the Copa del Rey, suffering a shock 5-0 loss to Atletico Baleares on December 16, so the league will be their focus for the rest of the season.
Getafe held Real Madrid to a goalless draw in the corresponding game last season, but Los Blancos have been victorious in 13 of the last 15 league matches between the two sides.
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Real Madrid, meanwhile, recorded a 2-1 victory over Athletic Bilbao before the international break to make it 46 points from their opening 19 matches of the 2021-22 La Liga campaign.
Carlo Ancelotti's side are eight points clear of second-placed Sevilla, 17 clear of fifth-placed Atletico Madrid and 18 ahead of seventh-placed Barcelona, which is an indication of their dominance this term.
Sevilla have a game in hand on the capital giants, though, and it will be fascinating to see whether Julen Lopetegui's side are capable of staying in touch with the leaders over the next few months, particularly as Real Madrid are fighting for three trophies this term.
Ancelotti's side will continue their Copa del Rey journey for the 2021-22 campaign against Alcoyano on January 5, while they have been drawn against Paris Saint-Germain in the last-16 stage of the Champions League, which is set to be a mouthwatering battle, with the first leg in Paris on February 15.
Real Madrid have won eight of their last nine in the league and are unbeaten in Spain's top fight since the start of October, so Getafe face a huge task to upset them this weekend, especially as the Deep Blue Ones have not overcome Los Blancos in the league since November 2008.
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Team News
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Getafe will be missing Sabit Abdulai through injury, while Jose Macias, Vitolo and Chema Rodriguez remain doubts for the home side, who will also be without Djene Dakonam through suspension.
Dakonam's absence will open the door for Erick Cabaco to feature, while the hosts also have another option in attack, as Jaime Mata is available following a suspension.
There are not expected to be many surprises in the home side's XI, with Sandro Ramirez again being joined by Enes Unal in the final third of the field, while Carles Alena should retain his spot in a midfield area.
As for Real Madrid, Dani Carvajal miss the contest through injury, while Vinicius Junior, Luka Jovic, Eduardo Camavinga, Federico Valverde and Thibaut Courtois recently tested positive for coronavirus.
Courtois, Valverde and Camavinga have now tested negative, and Courtois and Valverde are in the squad, but Camavinga will miss out regardless through suspension.
Marcelo, Luka Modric, Isco, Marco Asensio, Rodrygo, David Alaba and Andriy Lunin are also available after recovering from the virus, and it would not be a surprise to see Rodrygo and Asensio feature alongside Karim Benzema in the final third of the field.
Getafe possible starting lineup:
Soria; Mitrovic, Cabaco, Cuenca; Suarez, Arambarri, Maksimovic, Alena, Olivera; Unal, Ramirez
Real Madrid possible starting lineup:
Courtois; Vazquez, Militao, Alaba, Mendy; Modric, Casemiro, Kroos; Asensio, Benzema, Rodrygo
We say: Getafe 1-2 Real Madrid
Real Madrid will be looking to record their 15th La Liga victory of the season this weekend, and we are finding it difficult to back against the league leaders. Getafe have shown improvement in recent weeks, but the home side could come up just short against Ancelotti's side here.
