Rabat – Real Madrid’s season took another hit on Monday with a 1-0 loss to Getafe at the Santiago Bernabeu, their second consecutive defeat in La Liga. The result leaves Alvaro Arbeloa’s side four points behind Barcelona and raises fresh questions about the team’s direction.
The decisive moment came in the 39th minute when Martin Satrinao fired a superb volley past Courtois. Madrid struggled to respond, wasting clear chances through Vinicius, Rudiger, and Rodrigo
Late frustration boiled over when 18-year-old Franco Mastantuono was sent off for dissent. Referee Alejandro Muniz Ruiz reported that the youngster had insulted him, calling him a “f****** disgrace.”
Real Madrid suffer back-to-back LALIGA losses for the first time since May 2019 😳
Barcelona hold their four-point lead in the table 👀 pic.twitter.com/Xd2U1lbbwk
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) March 2, 2026
Supporters voiced their anger before the final whistle, booing the players and chanting for president Florentino Perez to resign. Stadium speakers quickly drowned out the protests with loud music.
Arbeloa, however, refused to concede defeat in the title race. “We haven’t lost La Liga yet,” he said. “There are 36 points left. We have no other goal than to fight for them. Real Madrid never gives up.”
He admitted the mood was “dark right now” but stressed that his players gave everything. “We deserved at least one goal,” he protested. “I understand the criticism, but we created chances.”
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The coach also dismissed excuses about missing stars. “We can’t hide behind Mbappe or Bellingham being out. They will recover and help us, but the responsibility is mine,” Arbeloa said.
Pressure is building on the former defender, who replaced Xabi Alonso in January after the Supercopa defeat to Barcelona. Madrid have lost four of his 12 games in charge, including a shock Copa del Rey exit to second-division team Albacete. His contract reportedly runs until June 2027, but the club’s history shows little patience with managers during poor runs.
