MADRID: Real Madrid lost a second straight La Liga match when a stunning volley from Martín Satriano gave Getafe a shock 1-0 win at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium on Monday.
The result prevented the capital club from cutting the four-point gap to leader Barcelona.
Getafe had lost all eight of its previous league encounters with Real Madrid and early saves from goalkeeper David Soria kept it from falling behind.
Soria turned over a shot from Arda Güler midway through the first half, not long after frustrating Vinicius Junior when he was through on goal.
Madrid had more of the ball but lacked punch up front and it paid a price for its profligacy six minutes before halftime when Getafe took the lead.
A hopeful cross from the right was headed clear but it fell to the feet of Satriano, who volleyed into the roof of the net from 20 meters out.
It was the second goal in three games for the Uruguayan, who joined on loan from Lyon during the last transfer window.
Madrid continued to dominate possession in the second half and Antonio Rüdiger and substitute Rodrygo were among those who came close to grabbing an equalizer.
But it could not find a way past Getafe’s stuffy rearguard and an in-form Soria.
Madrid’s task became even harder when Franco Mastantuono was sent off for dissent in stoppage time and although the numbers were evened up in the last minute when Getafe’s Adrian Liso was also shown a red card it came too late to make any impact.
Getafe held on to secure a historic win, its first at the Santiago Bernabeu since 2008, and a vital three points in its bid to stay in La Liga.
“Coming here is always very difficult,” Getafe defender Kiko Femenía told broadcaster DAZN. “We have to congratulate the team, we did a superb job at the back and we scored when had the chance. We might even have scored more on the counterattack.”
They jumped three league places into 11th and were eight points above the relegation zone.
Real Madrid lose second straight match and miss chance to close gap on Liga leader Barcelona
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Real Madrid lose second straight match and miss chance to close gap on Liga leader Barcelona
- Getafe held on to secure a historic win, its first at the Santiago Bernabeu since 2008, and a vital three points in its bid to stay in La Liga
Al-Ahli topple Al-Ittihad in Sea Derby as late Al-Hilal rout sees off Al-Najma
- Al-Ahli defeat rivals Al-Ittihad 3-1 in thrilling derby at Al-Inma Stadium
- Al-Hilal struggle against Al-Najma but three goals in final 10 minutes leads them to 4-0 victory
JEDDAH: The Saudi Pro League title race showed no signs of slowing on Friday as Al-Ahli and Al-Hilal played simultaneously in search of staying within touching distance of league leaders Al-Nassr, who play on Saturday.
While Al-Hilal took on Al-Najma, Al-Ahli’s weekend was about more than just three points. Waiting for them at Al-Inma Stadium were city rivals and defending champions Al-Ittihad.
For Al-Ittihad, this fixture was largely about pride. Their title defence has all but come to an end, with 19 points separating them and the summit heading into the Sea Derby.
Yet as shown in their 1-1 draw weeks prior against Al-Hilal while playing with a man down, Al-Ittihad tend to rise to the occasion in the bigger games regardless of their position on the table.
Al-Ahli did take control of proceedings through their high press, but the Tigers responded with confidence and urgency. A difficult season does not mean allowing your archrivals to take three points with ease, after all.
Matthias Jaissle, however, has converted Al-Ahli into one of the league’s most cohesive sides over the past three years. Some would even argue that despite never holding first place this season, they have indeed been the best team in the league.
That showed in the 23rd minute. Galeno was released into the space behind Muhannad Al-Shanqiti before delivering a low cross to Ivan Toney, who continued his prolific campaign with his 24th goal of the season.
Calls for a VAR review followed, as Houssem Aouar was brought down in the box prior to the goal. Referee Nikola Dabanovic ruled there was no infringement, and Al-Ahli led 1-0.
Al-Ittihad emerged after the interval with renewed vigour. Steven Bergwijn calmly held Zakaria Hawsawi on the edge of the box, tempting him into a foul that Dabanovic judged worthy of a penalty.
Fabinho stepped up and powered the ball past Edouard Mendy to equalise for The Tigers in the 51st minute. For a brief moment, there was hope. If Al-Ittihad could derail Al-Ahli’s title push and go on to win the AFC Champions League Elite later this season, this match could yet prove significant.
Those hopes lasted less than 10 minutes. Al-Ahli’s trademark pass into the channel released Galeno once again, and his low cross rolled across the face of goal to Riyad Mahrez.
The Algerian — who had repeatedly troubled the defence with his movement inside — made no mistake this time, restoring the hosts’ lead in the 59th minute.
Al-Ittihad came close on several occasions, but the match rarely felt out of Al-Ahli’s control for long. Their relentless press ultimately sealed the result when substitute Feras Al-Brikan disposessed Predrag Rajkovic and slotted home into an open net in the 84th minute.
Al-Hilal, meanwhile, endured a far more difficult night against bottom-placed Al-Najma. A glance at the scoreline suggests total dominance for Al-Hilal, but the reality was quite different.
Make no mistake, Al-Hilal created several openings, yet repeatedly lacked the decisive final touch. Salem Al-Dawsari’s decision to square the ball to Karim Benzema while through on goal summed up their struggles in front of the net.
It wasn’t until Nasser Al-Haleel received a red card in the 39th minute for pulling down Al-Dawsari as the last defender that Al-Hilal began to shift gears.
Four minutes later, Al-Dawsari made amends for his earlier mistake by setting up Benzema for first goal at Kingdom Arena.
Even with the numerical advantage, Al-Hilal produced one of their least convincing performances of the season. Fortunately for them, Al-Najma offered little attacking threat, registering just one shot across the 90 minutes.
They eventually collapsed in the final 10 minutes, as Benzema, Malcom and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic all scored within a six-minute spell, lifting Al-Hilal’s goal difference to +43 — a vital factor in a tital race where Al-Nassr sit on +46.
The victories move Al-Ahli and Al-Hilal to 62 and 61 points respectively, with Al-Nassr sandwiched between them on 61 ahead of their clash against NEOM.
Elsewhere, Al-Taawoun defeated Al-Fateh 3-2 in a match that saw the visitors mount a late rally but ultimately fall short of completing the comeback. Meanwhile, Greek duo Giorgos Masouras and Kostas Fortounis both found the net as Al-Khaleej secured a 2-1 victory over Al-Hazem.
Saudi Pro League action resumes on Saturday, with four clashes kicking off at 10:00pm. Al-Ettifaq host Al-Shabab, Al-Kholood take on Al-Qadsiah, Al-Okhdood welcome Al-Fayha, and Al-Nassr aim to maintain their spot at the top against NEOM.
