Real Madrid missed the opportunity to close to within a point of La Liga leaders Barcelona after a stunning strike from Martín Satriano handed Getafe CF a shock victory at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium.
Satriano’s breathtaking first-half volley flew into the top corner beyond Thibaut Courtois, condemning Madrid to a second successive league defeat and leaving them four points adrift of Barcelona, with both sides having played 26 matches.
The decisive moment arrived just before the interval. With Madrid struggling to convert possession into clear chances, Satriano met a delivery on the edge of the area and unleashed an unstoppable volley that nestled into Courtois’ top corner.
It proved enough to settle a contest in which Getafe’s disciplined defensive structure repeatedly frustrated the hosts.
Madrid were once again without Kylian Mbappé, who has been sidelined since the end of 2025 with an injury to the external ligament of his left knee. The absence of the 27-year-old forward has blunted Madrid’s attacking edge in recent weeks.
Vinícius Júnior spurned a golden opportunity to open the scoring before Satriano’s strike, denied one-on-one by goalkeeper David Soria.
Head coach Álvaro Arbeloa responded with three substitutions within the opening ten minutes of the second half, with Trent Alexander-Arnold among those withdrawn.
Madrid increased the tempo after the break and looked most threatening from wide areas. Antonio Rüdiger sent a near-post header narrowly wide, while substitute Rodrygo flicked an effort across goal that Dani Carvajal was unable to convert at the far post.
Despite sustained pressure, Getafe held firm to secure a notable away triumph.
Madrid’s evening deteriorated further in stoppage time when Franco Mastantuono was shown a straight red card for abusive language towards referee Alejandro Muñiz Ruiz.
Moments later, Getafe’s Adrián Liso was dismissed for a second booking after time-wasting, though it had little bearing on the outcome.
Arbeloa has now lost four of his 12 matches in charge, a run complicated by injuries to Mbappé and Jude Bellingham.
Madrid return to action on 6 March against Celta Vigo, seeking to avoid a third consecutive league defeat and prevent their title challenge from slipping further off course.
