Three stats from Real Madrid 2-1 Getafe

Real Madrid maintained their 100% record in LaLiga by securing a last-gasp 2-1 win over Getafe, having to come back from behind to emerge victorious.

The ghost of the ex came back to haunt Los Blancos when a Fran García error led to Borja Mayoral scoring, with the left-back becoming the first player to commit a mistake leading to a goal for the team this season. Real Madrid then fought back, with Joselu scoring his first goal of his second spell at the club on 66 minutes to make it 1-1, with Jude Bellingham scoring his fifth of the season on 95 minutes.

Here are three stats that help tell the story of the game.

14: Jude Bellingham becomes the 14th player to score in his first four LaLiga games

Real Madrid’s saviour was once again Jude Bellingham as the summer signing scored his fifth goal in four appearances with an injury-time winner. In doing so, he became the 14th man to do so in LaLiga and only the second in Real Madrid history, alongside Cristiano Ronaldo. The only other non-forward to do so was Cesc Fabregas at Barcelona.

It was also reflective of Bellingham’s performance. His shot count in the three previous games had been climbing, but in this match he didn’t even have an attempt on goal until he tucked away the loose ball on 94 minutes. With Joselu operating as a central number nine, Bellingham was playing in more of a number 10 position, creating three chances but not having as many opportunities to score himself.

Bellingham has adapted rapidly to life in Spain and LaLiga and has slotted in with ease to Carlo Ancelotti’s system. The lack of a number nine has meant that he has been deployed almost like a false nine at times and the England international is clearly responding well. It’s a good job too, as he has accounted for 63% of the team’s goals this season to date.

However, he’s also surpassed expectations. When he moved from Birmingham City to Borussia Dortmund, it took him 28 games to hit the back of the net five times. In Spain, it’s taken him only four. Such a rapid adjustment has got fans excited about what more is to come from the youngster.

76%: Real Madrid’s possession

Playing against a José Bordalás team is never a simple task, and even more so when you go down to an early goal and are up against a well-organised defensive unit which are all too happy to allow you to have possession. Real Madrid’s total possession over 90 minutes was 76%, but that was even higher at 80% when considering only the second half.

In the second period, Real Madrid completed 5.7 times more passes than Getafe with 362 compared to Getafe’s 63. It was a remarkable display of dominance which Getafe were prepared to withstand as they attempted to hold out for a point, as they very nearly achieved.

Such a test may not have been the best spectacle for Madridistas watching on, but it was an intriguing test for Ancelotti and his team. With Joselu starting as an out-and-out centre forward for the first time this season, Real Madrid were generating chances, as reflected by the total of 26 shots, but were forced to break down a rigid Getafe defence.

Over 60% of Real Madrid’s passes in this game came in the Getafe half and the domination of space was evident. Curiously it was Antonio Rüdiger who led the passing charts with 84, looking to start moves from the back, followed by midfield trio Aurelién Tchouameni (72) and Luka Modrić and Toni Kroos (both on 71).

1.48: xG from 14 shots from Real Madrid’s front two

Without Vinícius Júnior available for selection, Ancelotti had to mix things up and that meant that Joselu was given the nod alongside Rodrygo Goes in attack. The Spaniard acted as a central target man, with Rodrygo drifting over to the left far more regularly when in possession and looking to find gaps in the Getafe defence by targeting the lack of pace of 35-year-old Damián Suárez.

Between them, they racked up 1.48 xG from 14 shots. Joselu, who scored the equaliser in the second half, contributed 1.16 xG from five attempts, including one goal and another golden chance worth 0.47 xG which he hit straight at David Soria in the Getafe goal. Rodrygo had a total of nine shots, with five inside the box, as was the case for all of Joselu’s attempts, and four from outside, worth 0.32. Of those, seven came from the left third of the field, with two in central positions.

Those stats show that his two frontmen are capable of playing together and creating chances, with Joselu looking to get onto crosses while Rodrygo cuts in from wider and deeper positions. The pair complemented each other reasonably considering this was their first run out together and they were up against a team with six defenders on the pitch, and usually all 11 men behind the ball.

Ancelotti will likely be keen to see how the pair fares when offered more space, particularly for Rodrygo, to see how that link-up could work. With Vini set for a prolonged spell on the sidelines, he should be able to see it shortly after the international break with Real Sociedad, Union Berlin and Atlético Madrid all likely to be less conservative in their defending.