On Sunday, October 19 2025, Real Madrid secured a narrow but crucial 1-0 victory away at Getafe CF, thanks to a composed finish from Mbappé. The win lifted Real back to the top of the La Liga standings, two points clear of their main rivals.
Match context and events
Real went into the game under pressure to maintain their momentum and reclaim the top spot. Getafe, typically a difficult opponent at home, set up compactly and made the first half especially tough for the visitors.
The decisive moment came late in the match. In the 77th minute, Getafe substitute Allan Nyom committed a careless foul on Real’s Vinícius Júnior, less than a minute after coming on, and was shown a straight red following a VAR intervention. Moments later Mbappé found the finish: a defence-splitting pass from Arda Güler put him in, he turned inside the box and blasted the ball past the keeper.
Having gone down to ten men, Getafe still pushed, but shortly after the goal the hosts were reduced to nine men when Álex Sancrís picked up a second yellow card in the 84th minute. In stoppage time Real’s goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois made a crucial save to deny a late equaliser from Getafe.
Significance of the result
- The win moves Real Madrid to 24 points from nine games: eight wins, one loss. They now sit two points ahead of arch-rivals FC Barcelona.
- For Mbappé, it marked his 10th league goal in nine matches — an outstanding scoring rate.
- The manner of the victory is worth noting: Real found it tough to break Getafe down, only gaining the advantage after the red card turned the tide. This suggests that while Real have momentum, they are still vulnerable in tighter matches.
- Getafe’s disciplinary collapse (two red cards) played a decisive role and will surely be a point of concern for their coaching staff.
Tactical & player-wise notes
Real Madrid’s approach was cautious initially. They had some bright moments — Mbappé himself forced a good save early on — but the home side managed to keep the score level for large parts. The turning point was not so much a tactical masterstroke but rather capitalising on numerical advantage.
Arda Güler’s involvement in the winning move is notable, continuing his impressive impact off the bench. The defensive backbone of Real remained steady despite limited chances. The ability to grind out a result when not fully convincing is a mark of a maturing side.
On the flip side, Getafe will feel hard done by the red cards, but the first half in particular showed they can frustrate a top side. If they can avoid the discipline issues and convert chances, they may yet pick up better results. Madrid
Looking ahead
Real now head into a big week: a mid‐week Champions League tie followed by the first El Clásico of the season against Barcelona. Maintaining form and staying injury-free will be key. For Mbappé, his goal-scoring trend continues; the question is whether Real can reduce their reliance on him by improving overall team performance.
For Getafe, the focus must be on discipline and finishing — if they avoid such self-inflicted wounds they have the capacity to challenge mid-table rivals.
