Getafe vs. Real Madrid: Issues and Decisions That Will Shape La Liga Game
The year has not begun as the last one ended for Real Madrid. Defeat to Valencia in the league was followed by elimination from the Copa del Rey at the hands of Atletico Madrid.
So far, all they have to show for 2015 is three points and three goals against Espanyol.
Next up, as they look to re-establish their authority in the Spanish capital, they travel across Madrid to take on Getafe on Sunday afternoon.
Quique Sanchez Flores has recently taken on the manager's job at the Azulones and will be keen to claim his first victory in the league since returning to Spanish football after nearly four years away.
B/R takes a look at the issues and the decisions that could shape this La Liga clash over the following slides.
Scoring the 1st Goal
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Getafe haven't been very good at home this season. Since winning two of their first three games at the Coliseum Alfonso Perez, they're without a win in six on their home turf.
However, when the big teams knock on their door, they do have a habit of lifting their performance levels.
Mario Mandzukic's 40th-minute goal ensured Atletico Madrid won 1-0 when they visited, but even with 10 men in the second half, Getafe looked capable of bagging a point.
Barcelona weren't so lucky. The Catalans huffed and puffed but didn't come close to blowing down the house in their 0-0 draw at the Coliseum in December.
In Getafe's nine league matches at home this season, there have been just 14 goals scored in total.
The sooner Madrid can score, the sooner Getafe's tails may drop.
Ancelotti's Selection
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ESPN FC's Dermot Corrigan suggested some sections of Real Madrid's Ultras chanted Jose Mourinho's name during the 2-2 draw with Atletico on Thursday night.
That certainly isn't a popular opinion among the Los Blancos support, but Carlo Ancelotti cannot afford to let recent bad results slide into a crisis; it doesn't take much for one to be generated in Spain.
For that reason, the Italian will be wise not to take any risks at Getafe this weekend.
He's without injured duo Pepe and Luka Modric, but other than that, he should be able to field a full-strength side, including a front three of Karim Benzema, Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale.
Bale's Point to Prove
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Bale experienced a bizarre weekend last week as Real Madrid beat Espanyol.
He played a fine pass in the buildup to the first goal and then belted the second home with a stunning free-kick.
However, his decision to shoot rather than pass to Ronaldo in the second half drew jeers from sections of the Madrid support.
The week before that, in the defeat to Valencia, he also received criticism for failing to pass to Benzema as he raced clean through on goal.
It led to Ancelotti saying, as reported by Sport, "If there is a play that shows selfishness, we will fix it."
Now, despite one of his better performances of the season, Bale finds himself with a point to prove this weekend against Getafe.
Quique Sanchez Flores
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Flores is looking to make his mark back in Spanish football again.
There are few ways better to do that than by beating one of La Liga's top dogs.
After working as a coach for Real Madrid's youth teams, his first break in management came with Getafe in 2004.
From there, he went on to manage Valencia, Benfica, Atletico Madrid, Al-Ahli and Al-Ain, before returning to Getafe after Cosmin Contra left for Chinese club Guangzhou.
New managers often have an immediate, if not always long-lasting effect on their players.
Flores will hope that's the case on Sunday.
