Real Madrid beat Getafe 1-0 but lost Eduardo Camavinga in the second half to what looked like a knee injury just four days before the trip to the Etihad to face Manchester City.
Ice was placed on Camavinga’s left knee after he appeared to twist it five minutes from the end of Madrid’s dull but comfortable victory over Getafe.
The 20-year-old French international was important for Real Madrid in the first leg attacking from left back and he set up Madrid’s goal.
If he is ruled out of the second leg David Alaba would move to left back and Eder Militao would return to the centre of defence to partner Antonio Rudiger who was one of several key players completely rested for this one.
Carlo Ancelotti selected a team of reserves with only goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, midfielders Camavinga and Fede Valverde, and central defender Militao on the pitch from the start.
Real Madrid have been left sweating on the fitness of midfielder Eduardo Camavinga (left)
He was seen wincing and was holding an ice pack on his knee during their 1-0 win vs Getafe
The midfielder appeared to twist his knee in a nasty looking challenge just before full-time
There was no better illustration of this not being the priority for Madrid than the inclusion of Eden Hazard making his first start since September. Karim Benzema was not even on the bench where Vinicius waited for his chance sat alongside Luca Modric and Toni Kroos.
Madrid were up against a Getafe side scrapping for their lives down at the bottom and it made for a turgid first half with neither side mustering a shot on goal.
Madrid’s best first-half chance came when Lucas Vazquez got down the right and crossed for Asensio but he could not get a touch on the centre. In fact, he did not manage a single touch inside the opposition’s penalty area and neither did Hazard in the first 45 minutes.
Kroos came on at the restart for Ferland Mendy and Modric started warm up as soon as the game got back under way.
It was a sign that Ancelotti had not liked what he had seen in the first half anymore than the 50,000 inside the Bernabeu.
Hazard was a little livelier and won a free-kick on the edge of the area but it was the last thing he did because on the hour he was off with Fede Valverde and Dani Ceballos. Mariano Diaz, Modric and Vinicius all came on.
There were some whistles for Hazard as he went off but very few – indifference is the over-riding emotion from Madrid supporters regards a player who until Jude Bellingham arrives this summer – if he does – is still the club’s biggest all-time most expensive signing.
Vinicius’ first involvement was a mazy run and a pass to Modric who miskicked but he had a least woken the game up. At the other end Courtois got a wake-up call too with Juan Iglesias having Getafe’s first shot on target.
Carlo Ancelotti’s side will play Man City in their second Champions League semi-final leg on Wednesday night
Marco Asensio (second left) thumped home with the only goal of the game in the second-half
A host of key players were in action for the match including star winger Vinicius Junior (left)
The Madrid team smiled at the win but they will be concerned over Camavinga’s fitness
The changes brought the breakthrough and while the new faces had nothing to do with the goal the introduction of Mariano had at least released Asensio to leave false nine duties and moved hime back out to the right wing from where he drifted infield to lash a left foot shot past David Soria for 1-0.
It took a deflection off of Nemanja Maksimovic’ chest but it will still be accredited to the Spaniard who has now scored nine goals this season.
Mariano then released Vinicius to score but he was offside because the pass had come to late and the Brazilian was the wrong side of the last defender. Soria then saved well from Asensio’s stooping header.
But the game was as good as over as a contest – even more reason for Madrid to regret the injury to Camavinga if it does keep him out of the second leg.
