Joselu struck twice on Thursday as Real Madrid strolled into first place in La Liga with a comfortable 2-0 win at Getafe.
Carlo Ancelotti’s side are two points clear of shock title challengers Girona after a catch-up fixture which means both sides have played 22 matches.
Striker Joselu, on loan from RCD Espanyol, headed Madrid in front in the first half and finished lethally early in the second to put his team in command against their mid-table opposition.
Photo: Reuters
The Supercopa de Espana champions created various other chances, but could not widen the scoreline in the derby clash a few kilometers south of the Spanish capital.
Real Madrid lead rivals Atletico Madrid, third, and Barcelona, fourth, by 10 points. They face Diego Simeone’s Atletico tomorrow at the Santiago Bernabeu.
“[Joselu] is doing everything he needs to stay here, he’s doing spectacularly,” Ancelotti said. “It’s a blessing to have a player with this quality — he’s a very humble, serious person, we’re all delighted with him.”
Real Madrid’s coach said the team is in good shape ahead of the business end of the season.
“The team is motivated, fighting, we managed this game well, which was not easy,” he said.
Joselu and Vinicius Junior threatened in the opening stages before Madrid took the lead.
Lucas Vazquez, starting at rightback to give Dani Carvajal a rest, swung over a cross which Spain international Joselu nodded home while easily holding off his marker.
The target man started in place of Rodrygo as Ancelotti shuffled his pack ahead of the Madrid derby.
Real Madrid controlled the rest of the first half, but were set back before the break when defender Antonio Rudiger limped off.
Eduardo Camavinga came on in the second half, with Aurelien Tchouameni dropping to centerback.
“Rudiger, I think he can recover [to face Atletico], he got a knock — we’ll see in the coming days,” Ancelotti said.
Madrid stayed on the front foot and soon found their second goal.
Joselu finished off a smooth team move from just inside the penalty area after an incisive pass by Vinicius.
Los Blancos should have made it three when Joselu ran in on goal, but instead of completing a hat-trick, he unselfishly passed to Vinicius, whose effort was saved by David Soria.
The Brazilian then missed another clear chance as he zipped in on goal and tried to lob Soria, who saved with his chest.
Madrid were nearly made to rue the wasted openings, but Andriy Lunin tipped Borja Mayoral’s shot on to the post.
The Getafe striker and Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham are tied on 14 goals along with Girona’s Artem Dovbyk as the division’s top scorers.
“Madrid are the most in-form team in the league, with Girona, and it was a very tough game,” Getafe coach Jose Bordalas said. “It was a shame to let in such an early goal, it did us a lot of damage. The team didn’t give up on the game, but if you don’t put away the few chances that you have, it’s much harder.”
Real Madrid were dealt a blow late on when Tchouameni was booked for a foul, meaning he is to miss the clash with Atletico through suspension.
BIG NAMES GONE: Zverev is the clear favorite for a maiden Grand Slam title, reaching semi-finals for the fifth time in six years and finishing second on three occasions Alexander Zverev on Tuesday breezed past Rafael Jodar to stay on course for an elusive Grand Slam title at the French Open, while Jakub Mensik halted Joao Fonseca’s scintillating run in the quarter-finals. Zverev, the highest-ranked player left in the men’s draw, put an end to Spanish teenager Jodar’s impressive Roland Garros debut, easing into the semi-finals with a 7-6, (7/3), 6-1, 6-3 win. The 29-year-old Zverev is the clear favorite for a maiden Grand Slam title. He has finished runner-up on three occasions, including at the 2024 French Open. “I want to win the matches that are ahead of
Taiwanese tennis star Hsieh Su-wei on Wednesday advanced to the second round of the mixed doubles at the French Open, after she and German partner Mark Wallner defeated Slovenian Andreja Klepac and Briton Lloyd Glasspool in straight sets, despite temperatures exceeding 32°C in Paris, while Taiwan’s top men’s doubles player Ray Ho also reached the second round. Hsieh, who made it to the semi-finals in the mixed doubles at Roland Garros in 2024, and Wallner defeated Klepac and Glasspool 6-3, 7-5 in just more than an hour, converting three of five break points, while holding their opponents to just one conversion
For some, Cristiano Ronaldo remains the essential spearhead for Portugal’s FIFA World Cup bid, while others believe his presence would prevent Roberto Martinez’s strong side from flourishing. The debate around the five-time Ballon d’Or winner rages on, as it did at UEFA Euro 2024 and four years ago in Qatar — yet Ronaldo endures, ready to play in a record sixth World Cup. The 41-year-old remains a global superstar despite swapping the European elite for Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nassr, and is the leading men’s international goalscorer with 143 strikes. With 25 of those coming in 30 games under Martinez, the coach
FAST AND LOOSE: Despite command struggles, Ohtani has pitched his way out of trouble after falling behind in counts, which manager Roberts credited to his velocity Shohei Ohtani on Wednesday night tossed six innings of no-hit ball, gave himself an early lead with a home run and still was not satisfied with his performance. The Los Angeles Dodgers’ two-way superstar dropped some expletives that were picked up by the on-field mic as he struggled with his command in a 4-1 win over the Colorado Rockies. He struck out seven, walked four and gave up an earned run in the fourth inning while visibly fuming on the mound. Ohtani (5-2) earned his third consecutive victory. “Just command was off, and I just felt like I was battling the lack of
RSS