Player Ratings: Getafe 1 - 0 Real Madrid; 2022 La Liga

Los Blancos ring in the new year with a loss to 16th place Getafe. Quique Sanchez Flores men were tied on points with Alaves in the relegation zone, but they earned a crucial three points over the not-so-mighty Real Madrid. From the league leaders perspective, it was an unacceptable match — there was no fight and no urgency. The match was riddled with individual errors and sub-par tactical adjustments from Ancelotti. The blue print is out now in La Liga: play a physical low-block against Real Madrid and they will struggle. Five points have been lost in the two of the last three match-days against Cadiz and Getafe. Hay Liga? These results open up an opportunity for Sevilla and Atletico to try and claw their way back into the title race. Full match player ratings below:

Thibaut Courtois—7: Can take no blame on the goal and only had 2 saves to make in the entirety of the match. Was put in some nervy situations by Alaba and Kroos with slow back passes, but kept his composure and successfully maintained possession despite the pressure.

Lucas Vazquez—6: Despite the many poor performances on the pitch, Lucas stands out as one of the better performers. Was a constant option on the right flank, had 3 key passes, and won fouls in dangerous areas.

Eder Militao—3: The Brazilian made the critical error in lead up to Enes Unal’s goal. Tried to dribble out of the back, but was overpowered by the Turk and instead of making amends, threw his hands up in the air and complained to the referee. The remainder of the match saw Militao untested, but that moment will mark his game and impact his rating.

David Alaba—6: Was not at his absolute best, but still managed some precision progressive passes out of the back to find the likes of Kroos or Benzema in between the lines.

Ferland Mendy—3: Failed to make any meaningful contribution in this match. Substituted at half-time by Ancelotti.

Casemiro—5: With 73% possession, Casemiro ended up with the most touches on the pitch (110). The Brazilian was brilliant at winning his aerial duels and breaking up the odd counter attack, but lost the ball 24 times and had 77% pass accuracy from his 72 passes. Against a low block, players like Modric, Kroos, and Alaba should be the players with the most touches.

Toni Kroos—4: When the most consistent performer (and one of the most important players) in the team has an off-day, trouble looms. The German had one of his worst games for years against Getafe. Both his performance and the team’s performance was summed up with a painfully wayward free kick after having plenty of time after a substitution to line-up a good delivery.

Luka Modric—7.5: In a sea of bad performances, Luka Modric stands out as one of the best. Hit the woodwork with his left foot and nearly scored with another shot just a few minutes before his crossbar effort.

Rodrygo—3: Started on the left in the first half and had a few good combinations with Benzema that nearly carved an opening. His bright start waned and his influence diminished the longer the match went on. Moved over to the right wing to accommodate Hazard in the second half, but was non-existent.

Marco Asensio—2: Barely involved - his heat map and touches (22 total) are a testament to that fact. Never got going and will be disappointed to start the year with a performance that earned a substitution at half-time.

Karim Benzema—3: This Getafe match may go down as one of Karim Benzema’s worst performances in years. His shots went flying over the bar, he took shots when better passes were on, his passing was way off the mark. Nothing clicked. Given the usual consistency of Madrid’s captain, the Frenchman and the team will just have to chalk it off to a rare off-day.

Substitutions:

Eden Hazard—3.5: Was brought on to be an impact substation, but made failed to provide any type of spark.

Marcelo—3.5: Replaced Ferland Mendy at half-time to bring some creative spark down the left and good service with his crossing, but neither of those things appeared. Had 3 crosses in total and none of them connected with their target.

Mariano—4: 5 touches in 23 minutes. Mariano ran and ran, jumped for crosses, and tried to get involved but it never came off.

Isco—6: 16 touches in just 14 minutes, Isco got on the ball right-away and tried to pick up the rhythm of the match in a deeper central midfield position.

Peter Federico—7: Credit to the kid, who with just 14 minutes to play tried to make things happen. Drew a dangerous foul outside the box after beating both Olivera and Cuenca with some skill on the wing.