Real Madrid Lacking Energy and Frustrated, Arbeloa Proves No Better Than Alonso

MADRID, TUESDAY – Real Madrid's 0-1 defeat to Getafe in the 26th week of La Liga at the Bernabeu Stadium on Tuesday (3/3/2026) revealed a bitter reality that must be accepted by the management and supporters of "Los Blancos." The change of coach from Xabi Alonso to Alvaro Arbeloa did not result in improved performance in the domestic competition.

A volley shot by Getafe's winger, Martin Satriano, in the 39th minute was enough to secure his team's first positive result away from Madrid since February 2008. Additionally, Getafe was finally able to end a streak of 16 consecutive defeats when visiting the Bernabeu.

For Real, this was their second consecutive defeat after falling 1-2 at home to Osasuna last week. For the first time this season, Los Blancos have gone scoreless in two consecutive matches in La Liga.

The consecutive defeats occurred during the Arbeloa era. Although they managed to secure five consecutive victories in the league and were able to displace Barcelona at the top of the standings in week 24, Real experienced a significant decline in performance at the end of February.

The number of defeats that Real has experienced in seven league matches under Arbeloa is equivalent to 19 games managed by Alonso in the first half of this season. Under Alonso, Real achieved 14 victories, three draws, and two defeats.

When viewed from the average points, Alonso helped Real achieve 2.4 points per game in La Liga. This record decreased to 2.1 points per match after the head coach position at Real was handed over to Arbeloa.

The result has caused Real to now be four points behind their eternal rival, Barcelona, who leads the top of the standings. The effort to catch up with Barca will be hindered by a series of challenging matches in March against Celta Vigo, Elche, and the Madrid derby against Atletico Madrid. Real also has a match against Manchester City in the round of 16 of the Champions League.

"Is it time to say goodbye to the league title? No, there are still 36 points to be won. We're not throwing in the towel because four points is still within reach. We're Real Madrid, and no one gives up," Arbeloa said in a post-match press conference, as reported by Marca.

Real indeed initiated the attack from the kickoff. Relying on Vinicius Junior on the left side and Gonzalo Garcia as the central striker, the offensive display of the home team was quite monotonous.

Repeated attacks centered on individual actions and the speed of Vinicius. Although they had to position two players to monitor Vinicius, Getafe was able to dampen the influence of the Brazilian player.

Vinicius' best chance came in the 13th minute. He beat the offside trap and found himself one-on-one with Getafe goalkeeper David Soria, but his inside-of-the-right shot failed to find the net. That chance had a 14 percent chance of scoring, or 0.14 expected goals (xG).

In pursuit of a higher score, Arbeloa responded by introducing Rodrygo, Franco Mastantuono, and Brahim Diaz in the second half. Once again, none of them managed to make a significant impact.

The energy of Real players, who are fond of individual actions, was not evident. They produced 18 shots, seven of which were on target, but failed to be clinical in overcoming Soria. Getafe's low block tactics also frustrated Real's attacking players. Los Blancos seemed to miss Kylian Mbappe, who was absent due to injury.

When the goal did not come, Arbeloa failed to calm his young players to play with a cool head. Dean Huijsen and Alvaro Cerreras received yellow cards. This punishment means they have now accumulated five yellow cards this season, preventing them from playing next week.

The peak of Real's poor performance was manifested in the red card received by Mastantuono in the 90+4 minute. From the television footage, Mastantuono was seen three times—one moment while covering his mouth—using foul language towards the referee, Alejandro Muniz Ruiz. Without hesitation, Ruiz pulled a red card from his pocket for the 18-year-old player.

"Today I understand the criticism that has come because we played poorly compared to usual. I think we still deserved to score more goals than Getafe, but we failed to capitalize on every opportunity," said Arbeloa.

Furthermore, Arbeloa stated that he is to be blamed and held responsible for the fourth defeat of the season. He mentioned that his players have made maximum efforts. He is also determined to correct the attitudes of his players, particularly those that led to Mastantuono's red card.

“I don’t know what he said, but something like that should never happen again,” Arbeloa said.

Meanwhile, Getafe surged three places to the 11th position thanks to three points from Bernabeu. They are increasingly distancing themselves from the relegation zone with an eight-point gap. That same eight-point margin is also the distance between Getafe and the 40 points, which is the minimum quantity required to remain in La Liga for the next season.

"We have known for a long time that we have not won here (Bernabeu). Because of our hunger and struggle to run more, we achieved this result. I have always dreamed of being able to defeat Real," said Satriano. (AFP)