Arda Güler’s first-half strike secured a crucial 1-0 win for Real Madrid against Getafe on Wednesday, keeping them within four points of La Liga leaders Barcelona. The young Turkish midfielder found the net with a powerful long-range effort midway through the first half, ensuring Madrid kept pace in the title race following Barcelona’s identical 1-0 win over Mallorca the previous night.
With the highly anticipated Copa del Rey final against Barcelona set for Saturday in Seville, Madrid’s narrow victory also serves as a confidence booster heading into El Clasico. The clubs are also scheduled to face off again in La Liga on May 11. Star forward Kylian Mbappe is expected to return from injury in time for the weekend clash.
However, the win came at a potential cost for Carlo Ancelotti’s side, as both David Alaba and Eduardo Camavinga were forced off the field with suspected muscle issues. “We’ll assess their condition tomorrow, but it looks like muscle fatigue. It will be difficult for them to be ready for Saturday,” Ancelotti told reporters post-match.
With Jude Bellingham rested on the bench and Mbappe unavailable, 18-year-old Brazilian striker Endrick made his first La Liga start. Left-back Fran Garcia nearly opened the scoring with a double chance early in the match, but it was Güler who eventually broke the deadlock. After Brahim Díaz appeared to squander a promising move, the ball was recycled to Güler, whose 20-yard strike evaded goalkeeper David Soria despite his efforts to save it.
Endrick almost doubled the lead after a smart pass from Vinícius Júnior, but Soria managed to slow the shot, allowing defender Djené to clear off the line.
Getafe, who were resilient throughout, pushed hard for an equalizer in the second half. Their best chance came when Mauro Arambarri found himself unmarked in front of goal but dragged his shot wide with only Thibaut Courtois to beat. The Madrid goalkeeper proved decisive in stoppage time, smothering a chaotic scramble in the six-yard box to deny both Peter and Juanmi, before thwarting a late low shot from Alvaro Rodriguez — a Madrid loanee — to preserve the victory.
Elsewhere, Athletic Bilbao took a major step toward securing Champions League football next season with a 1-0 home victory over Las Palmas. Inaki Williams scored the decisive goal just five minutes in, turning a defender before coolly finishing with the outside of his boot. Bilbao, now sitting comfortably in fourth, are eight points ahead of fifth-placed Villarreal with five games remaining. Villarreal’s hopes took a blow after a heavy 3-0 defeat at the hands of Celta Vigo.
Bilbao also have a Europa League semi-final clash with Manchester United on the horizon. Should they win the tournament, they will play the final at their iconic San Mamés stadium.
Meanwhile, Alaves climbed out of the relegation zone with a narrow 1-0 win over Real Sociedad, while Las Palmas’ loss pushed them into the bottom three. Real Betis, in sixth, will look to capitalize on Villarreal’s slip when they take on bottom-placed Valladolid on Thursday.
