“Real Madrid easily surpassed Getafe thanks to Joselu’s double to rise to the top of La Liga,” Eurosport said in its post-match broadcast. That explains a lot about what happens on Getafe’s Coliseum field.

Before kickoff, coach Carlo Ancelotti described the match against Getafe as “important” for both the present and the season. Real Madrid understands that they must win in order to gain a score advantage against Girona, which has been a La Liga phenomenon this season.

Real Madrid must face Atletico Madrid twice in February before facing Girona in what is regarded as the “final of the season”. After that, Ancelotti’s club will compete in the UEFA Champions League against RB Leipzig.

Real Madrid approached the match against Getafe with a strong commitment, knowing how important it was. In the first half, they dominated the hosts. According to Flashscore, Real Madrid possessed the ball 59% of the time, unleashing 6 shots, three of which were on target.

Getafe can only withstand their opponents’ overwhelming attack. They couldn’t fire a single shot throughout the opening 45 minutes.

Real Madrid’s efforts were rewarded in the fifteenth minute. Joselu accurately headed the ball after Lucas Vazquez’s pass, opening the scoring. Real Madrid could have won the game early in the first half, when Vazquez and Joselu continued to “find each other” in the combination in the 39th minute. However, Joselu failed to convert the scoring opportunity.

After the halftime break, Getafe continued to play aggressively and create hazardous defensive situations. The first opportunity occurred in the 52nd minute, when Mason Greenwood’s attempt hit the goal.

However, Joselu put an end to Getafe’s momentum in the 57th minute by scoring twice, allowing Real Madrid to treble the score. Everything became simpler for the away team after this incident, as they dominated the game.

“Los Blancos” haven’t performed particularly convincingly recently, but they still know how to finish a game. Joselu’s two goals are evidence of it.

Real Madrid is not overpowering in terms of indicators. They had the ball for 59% of the time, shot 16 times (9 on target), but only had an anticipated goals index (xG) of 1.99. Real Madrid scored two goals with an xG of 1.99. Meanwhile, Getafe only attempted two attempts on goal with xG 0.88. In the last stage, the difference in class between the two teams becomes evident.

Joselu is the one who makes the largest difference. With only 26 touches on the ball, one clear scoring opportunity, and an xG of 0.74, Real Madrid’s loaned striker from Espanyol dashed the home team’s expectations.

At 33 years old, this striker may not have been the name Real Madrid fans were looking for at the start of the season. However, in terms of efficacy, this guy does exceptionally well.

Real Madrid merely lost 500,000 euros in loan fees in the summer of 2023 to acquire a valuable “stuntman” like Joselu. Joselu has six goals and one assist in nine starts for Real Madrid in La Liga this season.

After 30 appearances in all competitions, the 1990-born striker scored 10 goals and assisted four others. A good pricing for a “firefighting” and inexpensive contract.

Following the match, coach Carlo Ancelotti stated that “Jose does everything possible to continue playing for Real Madrid” and that he is “happy to have the player’s service.” Real Madrid can welcome Kylian Mbappe or other prominent names in attack this summer, but Joselu remains a viable alternative.

The three points won at Getafe Stadium helped Real Madrid return to the top of La Liga, two points ahead of Girona. “Los Blancos” also opened up a 10-point lead over Atletico Madrid, which was in third position.