There’s Something About Getafe…

I’m stunned. Truly stunned. No, I’m not talking about Higuain’s goal. Or how Pepe could mistake Francisco Casquero for the ball…a couple of times. I’m not even talking about Arjen Robben’s uncanny ability to find new leg muscles to tear. I’m talking about how hard it is for Real Madrid to beat Getafe.

Before last night, Los Merengues hadn’t conceded a goal for four matches, all against sides of about, or of less, quality than Getafe. Tuesday night they fell behind twice.

Look at their recent record against them. Earlier this season Getafe emerged victorious 3-1. Last season, Real got a 1-0 win at the Coliseum Alfonso Perez and their neighbours did the reverse on them at the Bernabeu. The season before, Getafe defeated Real at their place and drew the away fixture.

That means, that before the other night’s 3-2 triumph, Madrid had only beaten them once in their previous five meetings. Now, compare that to their record over the same period against Barca, where they’ve only lost once, winning three and drawing one.

This evidence only leads to one logical conclusion – Getafe is Real Madrid’s bogey team. But why? What is it about them that makes the men in white unable to secure an easy, straightforward victory? 

Then again, maybe it’s not about Real. Their performance for much of last night was pretty much the usual – for the most part it was uninspiring, workmanlike and quite frankly, dull. Maybe it’s about Getafe. 

I’m no psychologist, but what if, when it comes to big clubs, but Real Madrid in particular, Getafe Club de Football have intense feelings of inferiority. They need to prove to their more illustrious neighbours (and by their neighbours I mean, themselves) that they’re superior. How can they achieve this? By defeating them. They can only feel better about themselves by beating the team they consider to be superior to them.

Perhaps it’s because their only decent players used to be on the books at the Bernabeu. They need to prove to themselves that they’re still decent even though they weren’t a success with the big boys. Perhaps it’s because Real are, not only the most successful in Spain and in Europe, but in Madrid. Only they know. 

All I know is, whenever Los Azulones run out against their bigger brother, these feelings manifest themselves in the form of superhuman performances like the one on Tuesday. The problem for them is, this need to feel superior ultimately only leads to more frustration and inferiority.

As it did last night. I’m quite certain that Madrid wouldn’t have won the game had Getafe been content to sit back and defend for the draw. Instead, it was their desire to win the game, to prove to themselves that they could be superior to Real, and not take the away point, that ended up costing them.

They threw away what could yet prove to be a valuable point in their bid to survive relegation, and at the same time may well have saved Los Merengues title bid.