Carlo Ancelotti couldn't have asked for a better first half of the 2021/22 LaLiga Santander season, with his team sitting comfortably at the top of the table, yet he now turns his attention to the new year with Real Madrid facing an away trip to Getafe to kickstart 2022.
Los Blancos will resume their domestic campaign on January 2, with the club a healthy eight points clear of Sevilla at the LaLiga Santander summit, whilst Getafe are involved in a battle to avoid the drop after their years of overachieving.
A COVID-19 outbreak within the Real Madrid camp has put a number of players in doubt for the trip to Getafe, although there is some positive news on this front. Thibaut Courtois, Fede Valverde and Vinicius tested positive for the virus prior to the New Year, but have since returned negative tests and could be involved on Sunday.
However, Eduardo Camavinga is ruled out of the trip, having tested positive for COVID-19 and having picked up a suspension.
Getafe vs Real Madrid predicted line-ups
Getafe's predicted line-up: David Soria; Damian Suarez, Stefan Mitrovic, Erick Cabaco, Jorge Cuenca, Mathias Oliveira; Mauro Arambarri, Nemanja Maksimovic, Carles Alena; Enes Unal, Sandro Ramirez
Real Madrid's predicted line-up: Thibaut Courtois; Lucas Vazquez, Eder Militao, David Alaba, Ferland Mendy; Luka Modric, Casemiro, Toni Kroos; Marco Asensio, Karim Benzema, Rodrygo.
Getafe vs Real Madrid: When does it start?
This Sunday's match between Getafe and Real Madrid kicks off at 14:00 CET, the local time in Spain. For those living in the USA, you can tune in at 08:00 ET/05:00 PT, and for those living in the United Kingdom you can tune in at 13:00 GMT.
Getafe vs Real Madrid: Where to watch it?
The LaLiga Santander matchup between Getafe and Real Madrid will take place at the Coliseum Alfonso Perez on Sunday, January 2. For those living in the USA you can watch the match live on ESPN+, whilst for those living in the UK the match will be broadcast live on LaLigaTV.