Real Madrid vs Getafe: Confirmed Starting Lineup for La Liga Match
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Later on this evening, Real Madrid will host neighbors Getafe to wrap up game week 26 of the current La Liga season.
Going into the previous round of fixtures, Alvaro Arbeloa's side had a two point lead at the top of the table, but surrendered that advantage after coming undone to a late 2-1 defeat away to Osasuna.
Perhaps having to play in the Champions League play-off days earlier played a part in the team's physical condition.
Since that defeat, Barcelona themselves have played twice, beating Levante and Villarreal at home, making the gap to Los Blancos four points, though the team has the chance to narrow that down to one point with a victory this evening.
Earlier today, it was confirmed that Dean Huijsen and Rodrygo were in the squad for the game, despite having previously been injured. However, key players Eder Militao, Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappe continue to be sidelined.
Furthermore, it was confirmed that Eduardo Camavinga would miss the game with a toothache.
With that all in mind, and what Arbeloa has at his disposal, he has opted for the following XI; Courtois; Alexander-Arnold, Rudiger, Alaba, Carreras; Valverde, Tchouameni, Thiago Pitarch; Guler, Garcia, Vinicius.
Meanwhile, the bench consists of; Lunin, Mestre, Carvajal, Fran Garcia, Mendy, Palacios, Huijsen, Angel, Cesetro, Rodrygo, Diaz and Mastantuono.
📋✅ Our starting XI!
— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) March 2, 2026
🆚 @GetafeCFen pic.twitter.com/eojlahAm2o
The gaffer makes changes from the side that beat Benfica 2-1 in the Champions League play-off round second leg at the Bernabeu, with David Alaba and Thiago Pitarch replacing Raul Asencio and Camavinga.
Very exciting to see Pitarch make his full debut after cameo appearances in both of the ties with Benfica. It will also be his domestic debut for the club. He worked with Arbeloa for Real Madrid Castilla, so there has been much anticipation for his chance in the first team. A big opportunity for him in this game.
No doubt this will be a grind. It always is against a Jose Bordalas side. It's never an easy watch. However, Real Madrid are the only La Liga team he has failed to beat, with 14 defeats and two draws in 16 attempts, so let's hope that continues tonight.
It feels a bit far-fetched to say that dropped points tonight means the title has gone, particularly with another Clasico still to play, but it would certainly feel like a huge uphill task with only a third of the La Liga season remaining, particularly with a number of key players still missing games. Well, let's wait and see what happens.
Tom Vinall is a sports writer covering Real Madrid On SI. Previously, he had worked at FanSided as both a contributor and site expert, covering the likes of Spurs and Bayern Munich. He has also previously written for Transfer News Live. Tom was born and lives in Bristol, South West England, and loves to listen to music as well as learning Spanish.
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