Getafe CF - Racing de Santander: first home test for Getafe against the returning top-flight side
Getafe CF and Racing de Santander enter the second round from completely different starting positions. Getafe already has a painful first league test behind it: the away match at Deportivo Alavés ended in a 0-3 defeat, and the game was heavily marked by Kiko Femenía's sending-off shortly before the break. Racing, on the other hand, is only now returning to the top flight after 14 years, and its first league appearance against Villarreal CF had not yet been played on the day this guide was written.
For that reason, the table after the incomplete first round should be read with caution. Getafe has zero points and a goal difference of 0-3, while Racing has not yet played a match. Much more important is what lies behind those numbers: the home side needs a reaction after a difficult start, while the visitors want to prove as soon as possible that the attacking football with which they earned promotion can also work against established top-flight teams.
An additional factor for Getafe is the congested schedule. José Bordalás's team plays a European qualifying match against Partizan at the same stadium a few days before Racing's arrival. Rotations, energy expenditure and the players' physical condition may therefore be just as important as the starting line-up.
Tickets for this match are in demand among supporters.
Getafe seeks a quick reaction after a difficult opening
The 0-3 result in Vitoria looks very unpleasant, but the context of the first match must not be ignored. Getafe were reduced to ten men after Kiko Femenía received a straight red card near the end of the first half, and Deportivo Alavés scored all three goals after the break. David Soria kept the visitors in the match for a while, but the home side's pressure eventually became too great.
For Bordalás, how his team responds is more important than its temporary position in the table. Last season ended in a completely different mood. Getafe secured European football with a 1-0 victory over CA Osasuna in the final round, with Luis Milla scoring the decisive goal. The club therefore entered the new season with greater ambitions and a more demanding schedule.
Bordalás remains the central figure of the project. His contract has been extended until 2028, so there is no change to the fundamental football identity at the Coliseum. His teams want to be strong in duels, close central channels, win second balls and quickly switch play towards the forwards. Against Racing, pressure on the visitors' build-up could be particularly important, because the returning side will try to retain the style that earned it promotion.
Mario Martín is also a player worth watching. After last season, Getafe activated the option to make his move permanent, and the midfielder played 37 competitive matches in the 2025/26 season, scoring four goals and providing two assists. In Vitoria he had to leave the pitch because of a physical problem, and at the time of writing there was not enough verified information to state how long any possible absence might last.
The situation with Femenía is another detail to monitor before the final squad is announced. The straight red card from the first round triggers disciplinary proceedings, so his status for the Racing match depends on the decision made after the game.
Racing returns after a season in which it attacked without restraint
For Racing, this is the beginning of a completely new chapter. The club from Santander won the second tier last season with 82 points and as many as 90 goals scored. The return to the elite came after 14 years, and the end of the campaign turned into a celebration following a 4-1 victory against Cádiz CF.
The figure of 90 goals is particularly important for understanding the identity of this team. Racing did not earn promotion by waiting for opponents' mistakes and defending narrow leads. José Alberto built a team that played attacking and aggressive football in the second tier, and after winning the title he openly said that he wanted to preserve its courage, aggressiveness and offensive approach in stronger competition as well.
The clearest individual symbol of that attacking Racing side was Andrés Martín. In the 2025/26 league season he scored 23 goals and finished as the team's top scorer for the second year in a row. Against Getafe, his ability to attack the space between the full-back and centre-back will be one of the things the home defence must control.
Asier Villalibre gives Racing a different profile at the top of the attack, while in creative areas José Alberto has players capable of linking midfield with the final third. In pre-season, Racing also used Andrés Martín, Juan Carlos Arana, Iñigo Vicente and other players who already know the automatisms from the championship-winning season.
The transition from the second to the first tier nevertheless brings a major change. The space Racing was often able to create by aggressively pushing forward will now be punished more quickly by opponents. The Coliseum is precisely one of the matches in which it will become clear whether the team can remain faithful to its attacking identity while simultaneously reducing the risk after losing the ball.
What could decide the match
Tactically, this is an interesting clash of styles. Racing wants to play, combine and attack with a larger number of players. Getafe under Bordalás has no need to win on aesthetic impression if it can deny the opponent space and turn the match into a series of physical duels, set pieces and second balls.
For the home side, it will be important not to allow Racing to settle into the game early. If the visitors manage to connect several calm spells of possession and find Andrés or Iñigo Vicente between the lines, they can force Getafe to drop deeper than it wants. If Getafe imposes a battle for every loose ball and forces the visiting midfielders to receive the ball with their backs to goal, the match can move into a rhythm that suits the home side better.
Getafe's physical freshness is also a major unknown. The match against Partizan comes only a few days before this league contest. Bordalás therefore has to balance European obligations with the need to improve on the impression from Vitoria already in the first home league appearance.
For Racing, much will depend on how the team gets through its league opener against Villarreal CF. That match will provide the first real answer to the question of how well last season's attacking model can be transferred to this level. At the time of writing, that result is not yet available and it would be wrong to count it in advance when assessing the visitors' form.
Numbers that explain the initial context
- Getafe lost the first round 0-3 away at Deportivo Alavés.
- Kiko Femenía received a straight red card before the end of the first half of that match.
- Racing finished last season as second-tier champion with 82 points.
- Racing scored 90 league goals in that championship-winning season.
- Andrés Martín was Racing's top league scorer with 23 goals.
Head-to-head meetings take the story back more than a decade
Racing's long absence from the top flight means that these two clubs have not played a top-division match for a long time. Their last league meeting before the current season was played at the Coliseum in 2012 and ended 1-1. Miku put Getafe ahead from the penalty spot, while Pape Diop equalised for Racing.
A few months earlier, Getafe won 2-1 in Santander. In the previous season, Racing, however, left Getafe with a 1-0 victory thanks to a late penalty scored by Pinillos.
- Getafe 1-1 Racing de Santander - the last top-flight meeting before Racing's return.
- Racing de Santander 1-2 Getafe - the previous meeting in the same season.
- Getafe 0-1 Racing de Santander - away victory at the Coliseum in the 2010/11 season.
Those results have historical value but very little predictive weight for the current match. The teams, coaches and football context are completely different. A more useful fact for supporters is that Racing comes to a stadium where it has previously managed to take points, while Getafe welcomes this opponent for the first time in many years as an established top-flight club with additional European commitments.
The Coliseum is a compact stadium where every duel feels close to the stands
Getafe plays its home matches at the Coliseum, at Avenida Teresa de Calcuta s/n in Getafe, a city south of central Madrid. The club states a capacity of 16,500 spectators and an approximate average attendance of 13,200.
Those dimensions give the stadium a different feel from Europe's largest arenas. The stands are not separated by enormous empty spaces, and the crowd reacts quickly to duels, stoppages and refereeing decisions. Bordalás's style, with plenty of physical contact and emotionally charged phases of the match, fits well into such an environment.
For Racing supporters, this is also one of the first away trips after returning to the top flight. The club had ten completely sold-out home league matches at the end of last season, while more than 22,000 spectators attended the final round against Cádiz. That figure shows how great the interest surrounding the club's return to the elite is and why noticeable away support can also be expected outside Santander.
Seats in the stands are disappearing quickly.
How to get to the Coliseum
For visitors arriving from Madrid or other parts of the metropolitan area, public transport offers several verified options. The club lists railway services, MetroSur and bus routes connecting Getafe with major transport hubs.
- The stadium address is Avenida Teresa de Calcuta s/n, 28903 Getafe.
- Cercanías line C4 is connected to Las Margaritas station.
- Cercanías line C3 can be used via El Casar station.
- MetroSur line 12 stops at Los Espartales station.
- For arrival by bus, the club lists line 443 from the direction of Plaza Elíptica and line 448 from the direction of Legazpi.
For those arriving by car, it is sensible to allow extra time. The reviewed information did not provide confirmation of a special parking arrangement for this particular match, so it should not be assumed that a space immediately next to the stadium will be available. The same applies to the exact gate-opening time: at the time of writing, no verified schedule for the opening of the gates for this match had been published.
For supporters travelling from another city, it is more practical to plan to arrive in Getafe early enough that the final part of the journey does not depend on traffic immediately before kick-off. The city is part of the Madrid urban area, so it is possible to combine intercity travel to Madrid with suburban rail or MetroSur.
Which players deserve particular attention
For Getafe, David Soria remains an important point of security behind the defence. In the opening round against Alavés, he made saves that delayed the home side's opening goal after Getafe had been reduced to ten men. In front of him, Bordalás demands a team that must be disciplined when defending the penalty area, especially against a Racing side that showed last season that it can score from a variety of situations.
Mario Martín provides energy and aggression in midfield when fit, while Kiko Femenía's status will affect the home side's options on the right. Given the European match a few days earlier, the final line-up contains more unknowns than would normally be expected in the second league round.
For Racing, Andrés Martín is the first name the opposing defence must identify. His 23 league goals were not the result of one short run of form, but of an entire season in which he was the team's most reliable finisher. Alongside him, Racing has profiles such as Villalibre and Arana that offer different solutions in the final third.
José Alberto does not necessarily have to choose between courage and caution. The greater challenge is recognising the moments for one and the other. Against Getafe, too many risky passes through the middle could open transitions for the home side, but completely abandoning its own style would remove precisely what made Racing so dangerous last season.
The atmosphere could build with every stoppage and duel
This is not a match that needs a great historical rivalry to create tension. Getafe is appearing in front of its own supporters for the first time in the new league season after a convincing defeat in the opener. Racing is playing one of its first away matches after 14 years outside the top flight. Both groups of supporters therefore have a very concrete reason to experience the fixture as more than an ordinary second-round match.
If the score remains close, the Coliseum usually favours matches in which every stoppage, aerial duel or second ball won gains additional importance. Getafe will want the game to be played at that rhythm. Racing will try to find enough calm phases of possession to prevent the match from dragging it into exclusively physical competition.
An important detail for visitors will be the final information about the line-ups. Racing's league debut, Getafe's European commitment, the disciplinary status after the opening round and possible physical problems mean that several important decisions may only become clear closer to the match.
For the neutral viewer, the appeal lies precisely in the contrast. On one side is Getafe, a club that finished last season with European qualification and whose coach knows the demands of the league very well. On the other is Racing, the second-tier champion returning after 14 years with a coach who does not want to abandon attacking football simply because the opponents are stronger.
It is worth securing tickets in good time.
Sources:
- LaLiga - schedule for Getafe CF - Racing de Santander and table standings during the incomplete first round.
- Getafe CF - information about the Coliseum, capacity, address, public transport, José Bordalás's contract and European qualification from the previous season.
- Real Racing Club - return to the top flight, championship title, 82 points and 90 goals in the 2025/26 season, schedule at the start of the new season and pre-season matches.
- Real Racing Club - information that Andrés Martín scored 23 league goals in the 2025/26 season.
- beIN SPORTS - report from Deportivo Alavés - Getafe 3-0 and details of Kiko Femenía's sending-off.
- AS - report from the last top-flight meeting between Getafe and Racing at the Coliseum, which ended 1-1.
- WorldFootball.net and FootballDatabase - results of earlier top-flight head-to-head meetings between Getafe and Racing.