Preview: Getafe vs Partizan - prediction, team news, lineups

Spanish club Getafe will lock horns with Serbian giants Partizan in Thursday's Conference League playoff round clash.

The Azulones will host the first leg at the Coliseum, before the two sides recommence battle in Belgrade on August 27.

Match preview

Getafe enter the Conference League in the playoff round after Jose Bordalas masterminded a top-seven finish last term despite working with one of the smallest budgets in the league.

Bordalas's recognisable pragmatic approach was on full display last term, as his team ended the campaign as the second-lowest scorers and with the third-best defensive record.

The 62-year-old was in charge when Getafe last played in European football in the 2019-20 Europa League, a journey that ended with a 2-0 defeat to Italian giants Inter in the last 16.

Bordalas will have to lift his charges ahead of their latest European adventure, after his side slumped to a 3-0 defeat to Alaves on the opening weekend of the domestic season.

Getafe were unable to hold out following Kiko Femenia's first-half red card, as they shipped three goals in the second period, meaning they have already conceded over 9% of the total goals they shipped in the entirety of the 2025-26 La Liga campaign.

With the focus now on Thursday's first leg, the current crop of Getafe players may be able to draw inspiration from the fact that the club have won 10 of their previous 14 European home games.

In contrast to their hosts, Partizan began their Conference League campaign in the second qualifying round after finishing in third place in the Serbian Super Liga last term.

Sasa Ilic, who took over the reins in June, oversaw a comfortable 5-0 aggregate win over Luxembourg outfit UNA Strassen in his first European tie in charge.

Partizan then eased past Tobol via a 5-1 aggregate scoreline, including a turnaround 2-1 victory in Kazakhstan last Thursday.

They are now just one successful tie away from featuring in the main draw of European competition for the first time since making a knockout round appearance in the 2022-23 Conference League.

However, that will be easier said than done for a club that have lost their last two ties at this stage of the Conference League, a 6-0 defeat to Nordsjaelland in 2023 and a 2-0 loss to Gent in 2024.

Partizan will travel to Spain on the back of a disappointing 1-0 home defeat to Radnicki 1923 in the league, but they have proven to be a tough team to beat on their travels at this early stage of the season, having won three and drawn one of their four competitive games away from the Partizan Stadium.

Getafe form (all competitions):

Partizan Conference League form:

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Partizan form (all competitions):

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Team News

Getafe are unable to call upon forward Christantus Uche, who sustained an anterior cruciate ligament injury in a pre-season friendly against Monaco.

Juanmi is continuing his recovery from a long-term injury, while it remains to be seen when new addition Johan Mojica will be fit to play some minutes, having not played any football since featuring in Colombia’s defeat to Switzerland in the last 16 of the 2026 World Cup.

Enes Unal, who returned to Getafe earlier this month, is pushing for a starting spot after coming off the bench to make his second debut for the club in Saturday’s defeat to Alaves.

As for the visitors, attacker Nemanja Trifunovic will have to be assessed after missing Sunday's defeat to Radnicki.

After being rested at the weekend, former Getafe defender Stefan Mitrovic could line up in a back four with Vukasin Djurdjevic, Nikola Simic and Milan Roganovic.

Erik Kojzek should get the nod up front, with the summer signing looking to add to the goal he scored in the second round of qualifying.

Getafe possible starting lineup:

Soria; Djene, Abqar, Romero; Garcia, Martin, Mangala, Terrats, Davinchi; Unal, Satriano

Partizan possible starting lineup:

Krunic; Roganovic, Simic, Mitrovic, Djurdjevic; Baba; Seck, Aleksic, Vukotic, Zubairu; Kojzek

We say: Getafe 1-0 Partizan

Getafe may lack some of Partizan's match sharpness, but they are a wily team made in Bordalas's image, and considering their encouraging historic home record in European competitive, we think they will grind a narrow victory on Thursday.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.