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Before that, Seydou Keita's strike midway through the second
half had looked enough to send the Catalans on their way to an
eighth victory in nine league games but now they are only top of
the table by a solitary point from Real Madrid.
Gonzalo Higuain struck both goals as 10-man Real
Madrid
produced a superb performance to see off local rivals
Getafe and end a traumatic week on a high.
Madrid went into the match under huge pressure following
Tuesday's humiliating 4-0 Copa del Rey loss at third tier Alcorcon
- their third defeat in five games - and with Spanish media
speculating that coach Manuel Pellegrini's job was on the line.
And when Madrid centre-back Raul Albiol was shown a straight red
card in the 27th minute, it looked set to be another night of
misery for the big-spending Spanish giants. But, as is often the
case when a team goes a man down, the home side found a
determination and commitment that saw them not only match Getafe
but dominate most of the rest of the match.