Real Madrid manager Alvaro Arbeloa defended his side’s performance against Getafe after their 1-0 defeat on Monday night, and while he admitted that his side can play better, felt they had done enough to win the game. On the other hand, he also had some stinging words for Franco Mastantuono.
The defeat means that the gap to Barcelona at the summit of La Liga remains at four points, a gap that in theory Los Blancos could overhaul. Yet many Madridistas were left wondering whether overhauling their most bitter rivals was possible given the way their side is playing. Arbeloa was clear that the title was still in play.
“No, now we have no other objective than to win the 36 points that remain at stake. This is Real Madrid and nobody gives up here. It’s a gap that we think we can close.”
Arbeloa: ‘We had clearer chances than Getafe’
Despite the feeling that Getafe had carried out their gameplan to perfection, as Jose Bordalas noted, Arbeloa believed his side had done enough for the three points.
“We had clearer chances than Getafe. We had Vinicius’s chance, Rudiger’s chance, Rodrygo’s chance… We knew the kind of game we were going to play. Nothing happened that we didn’t know was going to happen, and that’s how I see the game.”
“Saying that ‘it’s impossible for us to play well, that’s putting words in my mouth that I have not said. It’s true that we had chances to score; it’s also true that we can play better. I can’t fault my players for their effort. The responsibility for improving our play is mine. If anyone is responsible for the defeat, it’s me.”
Arbeloa also had criticism for the officiating, despite Antonio Rudiger escaping a red card.
“Today we struggled against an opponent that defended very well. We needed to be more aggressive in certain situations. We always tend to rely on Vinicius for the easy option, but we need to be a constant threat on both flanks. There were also many interruptions. The referee allowed a game where the focus was on not playing. But I have no criticism of Getafe because they do what they’re allowed to do.”
Arbeloa angry with Mastanuono for sending off
Late on, Mastantuono was sent off for dissent, meaning he will be absent for Real Madrid’s trip to face Celta Vigo on Friday. Bookings for Alvaro Carreras and Dean Huijsen will also keep them out of the trip, but Arbeloa felt Mastantuono’s was avoidable.
“It’s unacceptable. The Mastantuono thing cannot happen. Huijsen and Carreras’ yellow cards are part of the game. But we’re going to have three very important players out in Vigo.”
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Arguments for improvement
Looking ahead to the rest of the season, Arbeloa had the following reasons for optimism.
“We have great players, others who are going to recover, and we have that objective of continuing to improve and that we can do better. I understand the criticism and the perspective that exists, but we played a good enough game to beat Getafe. We didn’t know how to take advantage of the chances we had.”
Los Blancos face Celta Vigo at 21:00 CEST at Balaidos this Friday, with a second chance to reduce the gap to Barcelona to one point, ahead of the Catalans facing Athletic Club. Following that, Real Madrid will take on Manchester City in the Champions League Round of 16.
