MADRID : Martin Satriano struck with a superb first-half volley to give Getafe a shock 1-0 win at Real Madrid on Monday, a result that left leaders Barcelona four points clear at the top of LaLiga.
Real dominated possession and territory but failed to convert their chances in a heated encounter that ended with both sides finishing with 10 men.
Barcelona lead the standings with 64 points, four ahead of Real on 60, while Getafe moved up to 11th on 32.
Deprived of injured trio Kylian Mbappe, Jude Bellingham and Eder Militao, Real manager Arbeloa rotated his side and handed 18-year-old midfielder Thiago Pitarch his first senior start.
Getafe disrupted the hosts’ rhythm early with a series of tactical fouls but Real still carved out opportunities. Vinicius Jr should have opened the scoring in the 13th minute when he broke clear on the counter-attack, only for goalkeeper David Soria to deny him with a sharp save from close range.
Soria produced another fine stop in the 24th minute, tipping away an effort from Arda Guler after the midfielder dribbled past three defenders into the box.
The breakthrough came in the 39th minute when Real failed to clear a cross and Satriano, making his seventh appearance since joining on loan from Olympique Lyonnais in January, pounced on a loose ball on the edge of the area and fired an unstoppable volley into the top-left corner.
The Bernabeu crowd jeered at halftime, prompting Arbeloa to introduce Dani Carvajal, Dean Huijsen and Rodrygo, but the changes had little impact.
Real pressed after the break but struggled to break down Getafe’s compact five-man defence. Antonio Ruediger headed narrowly wide from a corner and Rodrygo fired just off target from a rebound, yet the visitors held firm.
Tempers flared in stoppage time when substitute Franco Mastantuono was shown a straight red card for dissent, while Adrian Liso was also sent off as Getafe sealed a famous victory.
