Getafe’s survival in La Liga for the 2024/25 season is confirmed, with a glimmer of hope for a European comeback as they ended the 33rd matchday six points behind seventh-placed Real Betis. While their European aspirations hinge on the misfortunes of clubs above them, coach José Bordalás doesn’t envision Getafe cracking the top seven, but there are promising signs nonetheless.
The club stayed in the race with a 3-1 victory over Almería last weekend, and with three of their last five Liga matches at home, they aim to finish the 2023/24 season on a high note. Moreover, Getafe has garnered points in four of their five home games as underdogs this season (1 win, 3 draws, 1 loss), including a win against Girona (1-0) and a draw with Real Sociedad (1-1) in their last three home outings, maintaining their unbeaten streak of six matches at home against Athletic Club (1 win, 5 draws).
A few weeks after Bordalás defended Mason Greenwood against antisocial behaviour from the crowd, Athletic Bilbao manager Ernesto Valverde expressed frustration over alleged insults directed at Nico Williams during their 3-1 loss to Atlético Madrid, denting their hopes of overtaking Atlético for fourth place. With this loss, they’ve gone winless in four matches in the competition (2 draws, 2 losses), approaching this matchday with a six-point deficit from their target.
The silver lining for the visitors is that Getafe is currently the highest-ranked among their remaining five opponents, offering a chance to pile pressure on Atlético towards the campaign’s end. Against the 12 clubs joining Getafe outside the top eight, Athletic boasts 12 wins and 7 draws. Considering their recent trend of draws in away games, at least a point should be within reach for the visitors.
Players to Watch: Jaime Mata has played a pivotal role in high-scoring matches, with his last 14 goals across all competitions coming in games with over 2.5 total goals. Iñaki Williams remains unbeaten as a scorer in the league this season (6 wins, 3 draws), including the 2-2 draw at home against Getafe.
Hot Stat: Athletic have led at halftime in each of their last six league victories, while Getafe have trailed at halftime in their last seven defeats.
Prediction: Getafe 1-1 Athletic Bilbao
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