Real Madrid showed little sign of suffering without Iker Casillas against Getafe, as a superb hat-trick from Cristiano Ronaldo helped them see out a convincing win.
Real Madrid vs. Getafe, 2013 Spanish La Liga: Final Score 4-0, Cristiano Ronaldo hat-trick helps Los Merengues to victory
A superb nine-minute hat-trick from Cristiano Ronaldo helped Real Madrid blow away Getafe in the second half at the Bernabeu.
Real Madrid came out immediately on the front foot and looking hungry, although a spirited display by Getafe was to keep them out in the opening stages. Some superb play from Cristiano Ronaldo and Angel Di Maria early on was to herald a warning for the rest of the match, but Miguel Angel Moya made a fine save from the Portuguese forward’s fierce shot.
Just as Madrid were building pressure, however, they almost found themselves behind as Getafe created a chance out of nothing, Pablo Sarabia latching onto a long ball and finding Diego Castro with his header, but the finish was planted straight at Antonio Adan to give the beleaguered goalkeeper a confidence boost.
Mesut Ozil was another Madridista to go close in the first half as he, Luka Modric, Mesut Ozil and Cristiano Ronaldo played some beautiful interchanges between them, but once again, he could only find Moya with a tame finish. That heralded the end of the first half, with Madrid dominant and playing some of their best football of the season, yet without a goal to show for it.
Madrid's hunger was once again evident as soon as the second half began, but Moya was once again able to keep his side in the game as he produced a superb double-save to deny Fabio Coentrao and substitute Sami Khedira from breaking the deadlock.
Real had been playing some excellent football at times, although their opener resembled something concocted by Tony Pulis. Miguel Angel Moya rose to collect a corner when he appeared to be fouled, with Sergio Ramos managing to artlessly bundle the loose ball over the line to give his side a deserved but illegitimate lead.
Gonzalo Higuain should have made it 2-0 immediately afterwards, but the Argentinian striker was suffering from a poor game all afternoon, not involved in any of Madrid’s best passages of play, and he showed his poor form by sending a poor header over the bar after being teed up perfectly by Mesut Ozil’s cross.
Los Merengues didn’t have much time to dwell on the miss, however, as they soon made it 2-0 through Cristiano Ronaldo, and this time there were no complaints about style of legitimacy - a fine counter-attacking move set Mesut Ozil free down the centre, who picked out Ronaldo in support to fire a laser-guided finish into the bottom corner of the net past Moya.
Immediately afterwards, Real made sure it was game over as Ronaldo bagged his second. A massed attack from Real Madrid resulted in Angel Di Maria drifting left to find himself in an ocean of space, allowing him to send in a perfect cross to the back post, which Ronaldo attacked to power an unstoppable header into the Getafe goal.
Getafe almost pulled a goal back soon after, as Adrian Colunga’s mishit shot appeared to be goalbound, but Sergio Ramos was alert to clear the ball and keep Antonio Adan in with a chance of a clean sheet. Real soon punished Getafe for wasting the chance as Lupo felled Modric in the area to give away a penalty, which Ronaldo slotted home to complete his hat-trick.
That was Ronaldo's cue to exit the stage, a superb nine-minute hat-trick having sealed the victory for his side as he was replaced by Karim Benzema. It was also Getafe's cue to see the game out and hold out for the last few minutes before the scoreline got any more embarrassing - few people were expecting them to pick up a victory here, but Real Madrid are looking like a very dangerous team at the moment.
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