- The match ended in tension, with a clash between players on the touchline and Madrid’s Franco Mastantuono receiving a red card
- Arbeloa dismissed the idea that the defeat ended their title ambitions. “No, of course not,” he said after the match
- Madrid travel to Celta Vigo on Friday before facing Manchester City in the Champions League round of 16 next week
Real Madrid coach Álvaro Arbeloa maintained that his team’s LaLiga title hopes remain intact, despite their shocking 1-0 loss at home to Getafe, which left them four points behind leaders Barcelona.
Eko Hot Blog gathered that Martín Satriano scored a stunning first-half goal to secure Getafe’s historic win at the Santiago Bernabéu, their first there in 18 years, as Real Madrid failed to capitalize on several scoring opportunities.
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The match ended in tension, with a clash between players on the touchline and Madrid’s Franco Mastantuono receiving a red card in stoppage time for dissent.
Arbeloa dismissed the idea that the defeat ended their title ambitions. “No, of course not,” he said after the match. “We still have 36 points to play for. This is Real Madrid; nobody here will give up. Four points is a gap we can overcome.”
The loss marked Madrid’s second consecutive LaLiga defeat, following their 2-1 loss to Osasuna on February 21. Star forward Kylian Mbappé is sidelined with a knee sprain, while midfielder Jude Bellingham is out with a thigh injury.
“We had clear opportunities, but football isn’t about what you deserve,” Arbeloa said. “Getafe executed their plan perfectly. We could have done better, but nothing that happened was unexpected.”
Looking ahead, Madrid travel to Celta Vigo on Friday before facing Manchester City in the Champions League round of 16 next week.
Arbeloa praised his squad despite the setbacks, highlighting their quality and potential. “We have great players who will recover and contribute significantly. We can improve on the pitch, and it’s my job to enhance our play. The effort of the team was there, and we created chances, but yes, we can do better.”
Regarding the red card shown to Mastantuono, Arbeloa said, “He must have said something inappropriate, and that’s why the referee acted. That can’t happen.”
Getafe coach José Bordalás avoided commenting on a potential VAR review after Antonio Rüdiger appeared to make contact with Diego Rico during the game. “Everyone saw it, but we won’t discuss it. Today is about enjoying the victory,” Bordalás said.
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