Hello and welcome to Sports Mole's live text coverage of the La Liga meeting between Real Madrid and Getafe at the Coliseum Alfonso Perez. Los Blancos boast a hugely impressive record in this fixture, winning 14 of the last 15 encounters against their city rivals - including seven in a row - and need three more points today to close the gap on pacesetters Barcelona.

REAL MADRID TEAM NEWS!

STARTING XI: Casilla, Marcelo, Nacho, Ramos, Achraf, Kroos, Llorente, Asensio, Vazquez, Ronaldo, Benzema

SUBS: Moha, Vallejo, Modric, Theo, Mayoral, Isco, Ceballos

The visitors were always likely to be without first-choice goalkeeper Keylor Navas this afternoon as he picked up a knock during the international break, but he is expected to return in time for the visit or Tottenham Hotspur in the Champions League. The Costa Rica keeper's absence means a chance for Kiko Casilla to impress, while Moha - a 17-year-old academy stopper - is promoted to the bench.

Matteo Kovacic, Gareth Bale and Dani Carvajal are also absent this afternoon, though Karim Benzema has recovered from a back injury in time to feature up top, where he is joined by Los Blancos' main man Cristiano Ronaldo. Toni Kroos was another of the fitness doubts, having missed Germany's clash with Azerbaijan last Sunday with a slight knock, but he is fit enough to line up in a likely midfield four today.

GETAFE TEAM NEWS!

STARTING XI: Guaita; Damian, Cala, Djene, Antunes; Bergara, Fajr, Arambarri, Amath; Alvaro, Molina

SUBS: Martinez, Bruno, Lacen, Angel, Chuli, Portillo, Molinero

In terms of the home side, boss Jose Bordalas has stuck with Jose Molina to lead the line once again for this tricky test. Jefferson Montero, who failed to light up the Premier League with Swansea City, misses out through injury, as does Nicolas Gorosito. A likely 4-5-1 formation named by the Deep Blues for this one, with defence very much being prioritised in a fixture that they tend to ship a fair few goals in.

Madrid head into this match sitting fifth in the La Liga table, seven points adrift of table-toppers Barcelona who head to Atletico Madrid later today - a very tough fixture, but one they tend to do well in. This is a milestone match for boss Zinedine Zidane, meanwhile, as he takes charge of his 100th Los Blancos game today, having already lifted seven major honours during his near two years at the helm.

Los Blancos have performed better on their travels so far this term, winning all three league games away from the Bernabeu and only picking up their first victory on home soil last time out at the fourth attempt. Getafe, 5-1 losers the last time the sides met here in April, have lost 14 of their last 15 meetings against their city rivals and find themselves 12th in the table on eight points ahead of this latest tussle.

© Offside

KICKOFF! We are up and running at the Coliseum, where only three points will do for Real Madrid if they are to keep up the pressure on Barcelona. A big fixture awaits for the Catalan giants later today - their toughest to date - so that gap could be closed come tonight.

A quick word on the goalkeeping situation at Madrid: Zidane has huge faith in son Luca, who is currently out injured, meaning that Moha may well be called upon should anything happen to Casilla. Now that really would be interesting!

As expected, Zidane is going with a 4-4-2 formation this afternoon. Benzema has looked lively early on, cutting the ball back from the byline only for it to be cut out by an opposition defender, with Ronaldo alongside him in attack.

Los Blancos well on top in terms of possession, but they have been unable to create any real chances thus far. Following an underwhelming opening couple of the months to the season, Zidane's men have to click into gear during this gruelling run of fixtures.

Asensio and Marcelo combine down the left-hand side, but to no avail as the ball is again cut out in the middle. Not a great deal for the Getafe defenders to do so far, though there is plenty of time for all that to change.

The match is a little stop-start at the moment, as a couple of Getafe players have gone down injured. A few big tackles have flown in as well from the hosts, doing all that they possibly can to disrupt Real's attacking flow.

This game has already developed a familiar pattern, with visiting side Madrid on top but struggling to truly click into gear in the attacking third of the pitch. Looks as though the Deep Blues will be forced into an early change here...

GETAFE SUB! Alvaro Jimenez is replaced by Francisco Portillo with less than a quarter of the match played after failing to shrug off an injury complaint. Prior to that, Faycal Fajr had a shot comfortably stopped by Casilla.

Ronaldo had a shot kept out by Vicente Guaita a few moments ago, but that aside Madrid have struggled to break down their opponents. Incidentally, the Portugal international has scored 20 times against the Deep Blues during his Madrid career.

Half a chance for Jorge Molina, who could not quite keep his headed attempt on goal after Casilla failed to collect the initial cross. Marcelo was then wayward with his long-drive drive following a corner at the other end of the field.

Guaita happy to boot the ball out of play to prevent Benzema getting on the end of it after the Frenchman peeled away from his man. Another break in play as an idiot has run on to the pitch for an opportunistic selfie with Ronaldo.

Getafe barely put an attack together in the opening quarter of the match and, when they did get the ball forward, Molina was flagged for offside. Los Blancos have not had a great deal to shout about at the other end, either.

Sevilla fell to a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Athletic Bilbao in the day's early kickoff in La Liga, incidentally, so a chance for Madrid to move up to second in the table with victory here, despite their shaky start to their title defence.

The pitch invader has been pretty much the most exciting thing to happen in this game so far, with neither side able to create any clear-cut chances so far. A routine stop for both keepers to make, as the champions attempt to find a way through.

SAVE! Ronaldo climbed highest from the corner to nod the ball down for Vazquez, whose volley was blocked aside. The move did not break down, though, as Asensio picked out Vazquez down the line and Benzema's subsequent near-post shot was pounced on by Guaita.

More than a third of the match now played at the Coliseum and Madrid do look as though they are ready to step up a gear. Zidane has seen his side dominate the ball, without truly troubling opposition goalkeeper Guaita.

Ramos appealed for a penalty after being brought down inside the box, but the offside flag was already up. Definitely a sign that Los Blancos will move through the gears, knowing that a win here will take them up to second place in the table.

SAVE! Guaita being worked a little more now, as he again keeps out Cristiano Ronaldo. Getafe then enjoyed a good moment of their own when Marcelo was caught in possession, but the centred cross was put behind for a corner.

YELLOW CARD! Mauro Arambarri is the first player to be cautioned, being penalised for his cynical attempt to halt a Madrid counter - he succeeded, too! The hosts doing well to restrict their opponents in this first half.

SHOT! Superb link-up play between Ronaldo and Benzema, culminating in the latter putting his boot through the ball and narrowly missing the target. Zidane would love a goal before the interval and, on the basis of the last six or seven minutes, he may get his wish.

Benzema is off the mark for the season, delightfully blasting the ball past Guaita. A quick Madrid free kick was only half cut out, leading to the ball falling nicely into the path of the Frenchman to charge through and fire across goal for a first-half breakthrough.

It is only Benzema's fourth league outing of the campaign, but he will be delighted to have got off the mark. The Frenchman did very well to latch on to the loose pass from Getafe and take the first big opening of the match when it arrived.

Llorente went down in some pain after his leg was caught in a challenge, but he appears to be OK to continue. Just a couple more minutes to play before the half-time whistle sounds, with the visitors deservedly sitting on a one-goal lead.

A decent opportunity for the visitors to extend their advantage late in the first half, only for a strong challenge to deny Ronaldo the chance to look up and pick out Benzema alongside him. Zidane will be happy enough, though, as Real Madrid lead Getafe 1-0 through a well-taken strike from Karim Benzema.

The hosts struggled to really get going for large parts of the first half, seeing a couple of Cristiano Ronaldo shots routinely kept out by Vicente Guaita in the Getafe goal. Faycal Fajr had the Dark Blues' only on-target attempt of the half, meanwhile, forcing a simple save out of back-up stopper Kiko Casilla, who is filling in for the injured Keylor Navas.

Madrid hold claim to having the best away record in the Spanish top flight this term and it was not long before they finally clicked into gear, with Karim Benzema being thwarted with a near-post shot and Lucas Vazquez having a volley blocked aside. The breakthrough moment then arrived 39 minutes in when Benzema intercepted the ball and charged through, knocking it past sliding defender Juan Cala and smartly tucking beyond the reach of Guaita.

Benzema, previously without a league goal in three outings this term, also skied a shot over the bar as Los Blancos went into the break sitting a goal to the good. Getafe will have to show a little more attacking impetus in the second 45, but will boss Jose Bordalas make any changes from the bench? Here is a reminder of the options available to both him and opposite number Zinedine Zidane...

GETAFE SUBS: Martinez, Bruno, Lacen, Angel, Chuli, Molinero

REAL MADRID SUBS: Moha, Vallejo, Modric, Theo, Mayoral, Isco, Ceballos

© SilverHub

RESTART! Madrid dominated possession in the first half and did enough to deserve their one-goal lead at the advantage. Getafe still not out of this game, though, as we get back under way at the Coliseum Alfonso Perez.

Zidane, managing Madrid for a landmark 100th time this afternoon, will not breathe easily until his side net a second. They tend to score for fun in this fixture so maybe it is just a matter of time before the goals do arrive.

YELLOW CARD! Almost another sight of goal for Benzema, who was close to latching on to a long-throw over the top - not something you tend to associate with Madrid! Kroos is the second player to be cautioned following his foul on Arambarri.

The second half panning out in a similar fashion to the first; Madrid seeing a lot of the ball without being able to do a great deal with it. The visitors improved as the opening 45 minutes went on, though, and deserved to take the lead.

SAVE! Big double stop from home keeper Guaita to keep his side in the game, first to keep out Cristiano Ronaldo and then a follow-up save to deny Marcelo's curling effort. How big a moment in the match could that turn out to be?!

Getafe are level at the Coliseum through a Molina goal! A ball from the right was met by the centre-forward, who got to it ahead of Madrid's defenders to help the ball trickle over the line. It may even go down as an own goal - a replay will be needed to determine that.

There was also a hint of offside for that Getafe leveller, but either way the scoreline is 1-1 with an hour of the match now played. Zidane's men have to respond, or else Barcelona could find themselves a whopping 10 points clear come tonight.

YELLOW CARD! Nacho the latest player to see yellow for a challenge on Molina. Great atmosphere inside the Coliseum now, with home supporters sensing a shock result here. Still hard to determine whether Molina got the last touch to the cross, but the authorities will surely give it to him regardless.

Molina got the slightest of touches to the cross so that goal will indeed go down as his - a fifth in eight appearances against Real Madrid. Isco has been sent to warm-up for the visitors, as Zidane turns to his back-up options.

Around a quarter of the match left to played and Madrid are in desperate need of some inspiration. They have been far from their best once again today, which looks as though it could cost them a couple of points at this rate.

GETAFE SUB! Zidane is readying Isco to come on, but while we await that first Madrid change Getafe have made a second sub. Amath Diedhiou departs to make way for Mehdi Lacen, providing some fresh legs to see out what would be a hugely impressive draw.

Zidane has held off making a change, which is a little surprising because Los Blancos are lacking inspiration at the moment. This really would be a disastrous result for them, having dropped points in three home games already.

REAL MADRID SUBS! Here comes that double Madrid change; Isco and Theo Hernandez coming on for Vazquez and Marcelo. Madrid will now go all-out attack in the remaining 19 minutes in search of the goal that will drag them up the table.

CHANCE! Ronaldo, who has made his worst scoring start to a La Liga season, has just squandered a glorious chance from point-blank range. The ball made its way to the Portuguese at the back post, but incredibly he skewed wide.

Theo Hernandez, only just brought on, picks out the back of the net but the flag was up for offside - correct call. Yet again Madrid are dominating a game but look likely to drop points, if not for a late winner at the Coliseum.

Getafe looking incredibly compact at the back, with pretty much every player now behind the ball to form a brick wall. Not easy for the visitors, which is becoming fast apparent as they struggle to get the ball to Ronaldo in the final third.

CHANCE! Almost a familiar story for Madrid as, after dominating the second half, the opposition peel off and have a chance to turn one point into all three. Mauro Arambarri was well-positioned but failed to even test Casilla.

REAL MADRID SUB! A third and final roll of the dice for Zidane, who brings on Borja Mayoral for Benzema with less than 10 minutes to play at the Coliseum. There is surely at least one more big chance in this contest.

YELLOW CARD! Mehdi Lacen is cautioned for his late challenge, as Getafe aim to hold on for these final minutes. Still plenty of time for the visitors to get their act together and create something - their season may depend on it.

Superb finish from Ronaldo to surely win the game for his side late on. The Portuguese missed from two yards a little earlier but, even though it has not been his or indeed his side's day, he was there to rifle the ball home after being picked out by Isco.

So a first goal of the season for both Benzema and Ronaldo has put Real on the brink of three vital points. Zidane has been made to sweat on his 100th outing as Madrid boss, but his men have just about gone to job done here, with two minutes of normal time to play.

CLOSE! Mehdi Lacen's effort flies narrowly wide as we enter added time. Madrid certainly not looking like champions in the opening months of the campaign, though all Zidane will care about right now is all three points.

We have now played two of the three added-one minutes, but an extra 60 seconds will probably be added on as Isco received some treatment. There is still time for a late Getafe goal, which really would be quite something! Can they do it?

The referee blows his whistle for full time, meaning that Real Madrid - just about - have picked up the points required against Getafe to climb up to second place. Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema scored their first league goals of the campaign to get Los Blancos over the line against their city rivals.

That concludes Sports Mole's live text coverage of events at the Coliseum Alfonso Perez. An on-the-whistle report can be found by clicking here, while updates from table-toppers Barcelona's trip to Atletico Madrid will begin in a little over an hour's time. See you then!