La Liga's 10th matchday brings Athletic Bilbao and Getafe together at San Mamés on 25 October 2026 and neither can really afford to drop points. Athletic are 13th after eight games with two wins, three draws and three losses, Getafe sit 15th after nine with the same win draw record but one more defeat. Athletic's home advantage tips the scales, though three straight draws at San Mamés suggest they are grinding results rather than dominating. Getafe arrive in worse nick: five league goals all season (the division's lowest), poor away form and a heavy Conference League defeat to Lugano in midweek.
Edin Terzić took charge of Athletic on 1 July 2026 replacing Ernesto Valverde, while José Bordalás has led Getafe since April 2023, so this will be their first competitive meeting with no head to head history to read into.
Athletic's last five league results read L-D-D-D-W: a 1-3 defeat to Levante on 21 October, back to back 0-0 draws against Valencia and Alavés, a 1-1 with Elche and a 3-0 win over Atlético Madrid before that. Three consecutive home draws without losing is the dominant note, though not giving games away at San Mamés and not convincing anyone are two different things. Getafe's sample is smaller: a 1-1 draw with Rayo Vallecano on 19 October broke a four game winless run, with a 0-3 loss at Barcelona and a 1-0 win over Málaga also featuring, results that read as survivalism rather than ambition.
Athletic are missing quite a bit, with Aymeric Laporte suspended after his red card against Levante, Gorka Guruzeta out with an ACL injury, Oihan Sancet and Unai Egiluz both sidelined with knee problems and Álvaro Djalo doubtful through illness. That is a lot of disruption across defence and attack at once, pushing more responsibility onto Yuri Berchiche and the Williams brothers. Getafe have their own issues: Dakonam Djéné is suspended, Enes Ünal is doubtful with an ankle problem and Christantus Uche is out long term with an ACL. Djéné's absence weakens their defensive line and if Ünal does not start, Bordalás loses his main striker.
Athletic typically press in a 4-2-3-1 built around quick transitions through the Williams brothers. Without Laporte, their defensive shape is less secure than usual, though Nico Williams still carries real pace on the left and Álex Berenguer drifts inside from the ten to arrive late in the box. Getafe will do what Getafe do under Bordalás: sit deep, stay compact in a 4-4-2 or 5-3-2 and try to nick something from set pieces or Martín Satriano's movement. Nemanja Gudelj is the midfield anchor, new signing Dani Carvajal is expected at right back and David Soria in goal. Their five-goal tally reflects how little they ask of their attack and Laporte's absence means Getafe's direct balls into Satriano have a better chance of finding space behind the line.
The key battle is Nico Williams against Getafe's full backs, which Athletic should win more often than not. Athletic have scored in only two of their three home games this season, though and both came against sides who pressed high, so picking Getafe apart will take more than individual quality on the flanks.
Despite the home advantage, Athletic's recent record against Getafe is poor: Getafe won 2-0 in April 2026 and 1-0 in October 2025, leaving Athletic winless in their last five home fixtures against them. Around 43% of all meetings between these sides have ended level.
With Laporte suspended, Getafe's delivery into the box from dead balls (particularly corners) moves from a theoretical danger to a real one, given Athletic's reconstructed centre back pairing. Athletic have the delivery quality from wide to threaten at the other end but their defensive unit will need to be alert to quick restarts and second balls. Getafe's midweek trip to Lugano is the one remaining variable: if their legs go after 70 minutes, Athletic have the pace to punish them.
The prediction is Athletic Bilbao 2-1 Getafe, with Terzić's side creating enough through the Williams brothers and Berenguer to win it even with Laporte missing. Getafe will frustrate for long spells (they usually do) and Satriano or a set piece could earn them a late consolation. The 2-1 reflects Nico Williams's pace against Getafe's reconfigured back line outweighing the defensive cover they lose without Djéné, without assuming any of it will be comfortable.
Ryan Baldi
Football Writer
Ryan Baldi is a professional football writer with years of experience and has been featured by respected outlets such as the BBC, The Guardian, Sky Sports, DAZN, FourFourTwo, ESPN, Yahoo Sport and Football365. He has also written several books including Arsène Who?.
