Getafe CF: Scouting Real Madrid's Opponents

Real Madrid visits the Coliseum Alfonso Pérez this Sunday (21:00 CET) in the second fixture of La Liga BBVA. Getafe is considered Madrid's fourth team just behind Atlético de Madrid and Rayo Vallecano, even though Getafe is a small town at Madrid's outskirts.

Last season, Real Madrid could only beat Getafe 0-1 with a goal by Sergio Ramos that came off a corner-kick. Getafe is always a tough town to play in because of the size of the pitch, the stadium's grass and the cold weather during the winter. That won't be a problem Sunday, but Abdel Barrada, Lafita or Miku could cause some troubles to Mourinho and his men. Furthermore, Pedro León will be cleared to play since he's not on loan anymore, so the player's will to prove Mourinho wrong will surely be unquestionable.

Both teams are used to transfer many players to each other. Esteban Granero, Pablo Sarabia or Pedro León are some of the men that have worn both team's jerseys in the last few years.

This is the kind of fixture in which a team can lose the Liga BBVA title. It's obvious that this will only be the second game of a nine-month competition, but being four points behind Barcelona just after two games could be very dangerous. Getafe is like those teams that are very dangerous to play against when you're away but also an easy one to beat at home. As a matter of fact, Barcelona lost at the Coliseum last year and then beat Luis García's team 4-0 at the Camp Nou.

Getafe's best signing of the summer has been former Zaragoza player Ángel Lafita. He is very dangerous on counterattacks, but Diego Castro will also be a difficult player for Real Madrid's defense to deal with. Former Spanish National Team striker Dani Güiza will likely be on the bench to provide some firepower if needed.

Getafe usually reinforces himself by signing quality players from small Spanish teams in the need of money, such as former Levante player Xavi Torres.Their goalkeeper, Moyà, was one of the best of his position three years ago when he was in Mallorca. After that season, Valencia CF signed him but then trusted veteran goalie César Sánchez and ended up selling Moyà really cheap.

Miku isn't a better striker than Güiza, but he works a lot more defensively, an area in which the Spanish striker failed when he was at his peak after Turkey's championship contenders Fenerbahçe paid 14M€ to sign him. Miku played the 38 Liga games of last season and scored just 12 goals, but it's sure that he will bother Real Madrid's defensive line when they try to get the ball to the team's playmakers.

Real Madrid should get the three points, but if Mourinho thinks about the next Supercup game in the Santiago Bernabéu and gives the bench players the chance to start, it could be harder than what everybody expected.