With the threat of relegation looming, Getafe return to Estadio Coliseum Alfonso Perez for a La Liga date with mid-table Celta Vigo on Wednesday night.
Jose Bordalas's first game back in charge of the hosts ended in a 1-0 loss to Espanyol at the weekend, while the visitors were comprehensively beaten 3-1 by Villarreal.
Match preview
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After defeat to Almeria last weekend proved to be the final nail in Quique Sanchez Flores's coffin, Getafe turned to their former long-serving head coach Bordalas to pull them out of their rut and engineer a great escape from the relegation zone.
Bordalas, who spent five years in charge of Getafe between 2016 and 2021 and oversaw progression from the Segunda Division to the Europa League, took charge for the weekend's battle with Espanyol, but the new manager bounce was absent for his side in a one-goal beating.
Joselu struck the only goal of the game from the spot in the 37th minute after Carles Alena was penalised for handball, and Getafe were arguably fortunate to lose by just the one goal on the day, facing 17 shots and enjoying just 43% of possession in a dismal watch.
By suffering defeat to their demotion rivals, Getafe have plunged below Espanyol into 19th place in the table - only ahead of whipping boys Elche and two points adrift of safety with six games left to play - so it is not mission impossible for Bordalas's side in the coming weeks.
However, the Azulones have now suffered defeat in each of their last three La Liga matches and are winless in each of their last six top-flight contests, although both Sevilla and Barcelona have fallen to defeat at Estadio Coliseum Alfonso Perez in the past few weeks.
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Panenka penalties are not for everyone, as Villarreal fulcrum Dani Parejo learned when his attempt at a cheeky dink from 12 yards cleared the crossbar, but the Yellow Submarine otherwise encountered few roadblocks en route to a comfortable win over Celta Vigo on Sunday.
An early brace from Nicolas Jackson left Carlos Carvalhal's men with a mountain to climb after just 12 minutes, and despite Jorgen Strand Larsen's response on the stroke of the half-hour mark, Villarreal added a third through Ramon Terrats 20 minutes from time.
From going unbeaten in seven straight matches between February and April to losing three of their last four games, Celta have experienced a marked downturn in fortunes as the weather warms up and have slipped to 13th in the rankings as a result, albeit safely eight points clear of the drop zone.
While Carvalhal's side can mathematically still be relegated, few will expect Celta to be dragged into a demotion dogfight now, and next on the visiting manager's agenda is snapping a worrying trend of shipping goals on the road, having witnessed his team concede at least twice in each of their last three away from home.
Getafe and Celta played out a 1-1 draw during October's top-flight showdown, but the Azulones have just one win to show from their last six meetings with the visitors, who stormed to a 3-0 win in this fixture last season under the tutelage of Eduardo Coudet.
Team News
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Getafe midfielder Gonzalo Villar picked up his fifth yellow card of the season against Espanyol and will therefore serve a suspension on Wednesday, so Alena could shift into a central role as Munir El Haddadi comes back in on the left.
Villar's ban has restricted Bordalas's midfield options further, as Mauro Arambarri is recovering from ankle surgery while Luis Milla is nursing hamstring discomfort, and both are doubtful for the midweek encounter. Centre-back Djene is back from a suspension of his own, though.
Despite the disappointment of the weekend, Bordalas should spring no real surprises with his team selection, as 21-goal pairing Enes Unal and Borja Mayoral join forces at the tip of the attack.
As for Celta, goalkeeper Agustin Marchesin (Achilles) and defender Oscar Mingueza (abdominal) remain out of contention, but Carles Perez was able to train on Monday after missing the defeat to Villarreal through discomfort.
Carvalhal admitted that he had to make more enforced changes than he would have liked at the weekend, so top scorer Iago Aspas and the much-coveted Gabri Veiga should be first in line for recalls alongside Fran Beltran.
Getafe possible starting lineup:
Soria; Suarez, Djene, Alderete, Alvarez; Portu, Maksimovic, Alena, Munir; Mayoral, Unal
Celta Vigo possible starting lineup:
Villar; Mallo, Tapia, Aidoo, Galan; Perez, Beltran, Veiga, Strand Larsen; Paciencia, Aspas
We say: Getafe 1-2 Celta Vigo
Celta Vigo were perhaps a little disjointed at the weekend given Carvalhal's raft of rotations, but the returns of big-hitters Aspas and Veiga should swing the pendulum in the visitors' favour.
Getafe did little to suggest that an end-of-season revival could be on the cards against fellow relegation candidates Espanyol, and we can only envisage a refreshed Celta team taking all the spoils in a further blow to the hosts' survival hopes.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Ben Knapton
