Manager Carlo Ancelotti said Real Madrid were “still on holiday” as they suffered their first defeat in three months in a shock 1-0 loss at relegation-threatened Getafe on Sunday.
Striker Enes Unal scored in the ninth minute after he stole the ball from Madrid defender Eder Militao and beat Thibaut Courtois. Luka Modric’s strike that hit the crossbar in the 17th was the closest Madrid came to an equaliser. Eden Hazard and Marcelo came on as half-time substitutions but could not spark a comeback.
Real's last defeat came on October 3 when they fell 2-1 at Espanyol. Since then, they had won 13 and drawn two across all competitions.
La Liga leaders Madrid's surprise defeat gave fresh hope to the chasing pack. With 46 points from 20 games, Real Madrid are still top but are not as comfortable as before. Sevilla are second with 38 points and two games in hand, and will visit second-from-bottom Cadiz on Monday.
“We were on holiday for an extra day,” Ancelotti said after the match. “The team was not the same team that played before Christmas — less commitment, less concentration.
“We didn't deserve to lose but we ended up with a defeat that could be a wake-up call.”
“To say we were still on holiday isn't a criticism, it's the same thing that I've said to the players,” Ancelotti added. “We accept responsibility, because the coach was maybe still on holiday as well. We are still top, so we look forward.”
Getafe, led by former Watford manager Quique Sanchez Flores, extended their unbeaten streak in La Liga to six matches and are 16th in the standings, three points above the relegation zone.
The modest club from a neighbourhood of Madrid started the season losing their first seven matches. But they have turned things around in the league after Sanchez Flores took over in early October.
“Sometimes as a striker, you just sense that there can be something there. Luckily it worked out,” Unal said about his goal.
