Getafe (Spain) (AFP)
Imperial Varane: goalscorer, the French defender was decisive in allowing Real Madrid to win Getafe 3-0 on Saturday for the 19th day of the championship, and thus provisionally take over the reins of La Liga in front of Barça, who faces Espanyol in the evening.
The mage king of Real is called Raphaël Varane, and he brought the throne as a gift: thanks to an own-goal goal caused by a failed exit by Getafe goalkeeper David Soria (35th), then a goal from the head on a free kick by Toni Kroos (53rd), in addition to Luka Modric's third final goal in stoppage time (90th + 6), the French world champion offered the head of La Liga to the Merengues (40 pts), who count provisionally one point ahead of Barça.
In full swing despite a small error that could have led to a dangerous opportunity in the area of Real (20th), Varane scored his second goal of the season in La Liga. Only Karim Benzema (12) Luka Modric (3) and Sergio Ramos (3) scored more than he did in the league at Real.
In the wake of a Varane reigning in the air, the Madrilenians, more precise and efficient than Getafe in attack, gleaned there their first success of the year 2020. It is also their first victory since December 11 in Bruges ( 3-1), before the three draws chained in the league against Valencia (1-1), Barcelona (0-0) and Bilbao (0-0).
What to recover before the Supercup in Saudi Arabia (January 8-12) ... Even if the fate could have been otherwise, as the team from the southwest suburbs of Madrid put the pressure in front of the "White House" cages.
The defensive intensity impressed by Getafe from the start in the last thirty meters put in difficulty the revival of Real, and the heavy strikes from outside the area of Mauro Arambarri (24th) and Fayçal Fajr (38th, 43rd ), and the head of Leandro Cabrera (45th + 3) gave cold sweats to the men of Zinédine Zidane.
But each time, the steadfast Belgian goalkeeper of Real Madrid Thibaut Courtois, impeccable on his line, saved his own from equalization.
After three draws in a row to end its 2019 year, Real Madrid has put an end to criticism of its recent silence on goal, and launched 2020 in an ideal way ... before, perhaps, a second Clasico in the final Supercup in Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) on January 12?
© 2020 AFP