Getafe vs Real Madrid. Spanish La Liga.
Coliseum Alfonso PerezAttendance15,350.
Saturday 14 October 2017 22:54, UK
Cristiano Ronaldo's first La Liga goal of the season five minutes from time handed Real Madrid a 2-1 win over Getafe in Zinedine Zidane's 100th game in charge of the club.
Karim Benzema had put Real Madrid ahead in the first half with a well-taken finish before Getafe drew level after half-time when Nacho inadvertently diverted a cross into his own goal under pressure from Jorge Molina.
With time running out, Ronaldo somehow missed an open goal from just a couple of yards out, before making amends on 85 minutes by firing substitute Isco's pass into the bottom corner.
The result means that Real Madrid have moved to within four points of Barcelona, who take on Atletico Madrid at the Wanda Metropolitano later this evening.
Zidane was able to pair Benzema and Ronaldo together up front for the first time in the league this season and the duo almost combined spectacularly early on. Marcelo's cross found Benzema who juggled the ball in the air before teeing up Ronaldo whose volley was excellently saved by Vicente Guaita in goal.
Real Madrid's front two were both involved in the first goal of the game as an errant Getafe free-kick was intercepted by Benzema who exchanged passes with Ronaldo in his own half before racing through on goal and burying a shot beyond Guita into the far corner for his first La Liga goal of the campaign.
Getafe were unfortunate to find themselves a goal down at half-time but equalised after 56 minutes following a mix-up in Real Madrid's defence. Faycal Fajr found himself in acres of space on the right wing and his low cross intended for Molina in the middle seemed to ricochet off Marcos Llorente and Nacho before nestling in the back of the net. Replays suggested that Molina was fractionally offside, though, and as he interfered in play, the goal should not have stood.
In an attempt to salvage the game, Zidane turned to his bench on 70 minutes to bring on Isco and Theo Hernandez and shortly after those changes were made, Real Madrid should have scored their second as Ronaldo inexplicably scuffed a shot wide from a couple of yards out with the goal gaping in front of him.
Theo, who replaced the surprisingly ineffective Marcelo at left-back, thought that he had scored his first Real Madrid goal when he finished off a free-flowing move with a neat finish but he was correctly ruled to be offside.
Fittingly given his miss, it was Ronaldo who had the final say as he lashed in a volley from close range following Isco's inch-perfect ball over the top after 85 minutes to hand Zidane his 75th win on his 100th game in charge.
This was Karim Benzema's first LaLiga match since September 9th, not that you would've known it given the quality of his performance. Benzema's link-up play with Cristiano Ronaldo was impressive throughout and his awareness and intelligent movement created a couple of good opportunities for his strike partner. His performance warranted a goal and when it came it was virtually of his own making as he intercepted a Getafe pass before racing clear and finishing emphatically.
Real Madrid switch their attentions to the Champions League as they face Tottenham Hotspur at the Bernabeu on Tuesday night. Both clubs are on six points after winning their first two matches in the competition.
