La Liga Matchday 4 brings Getafe and Celta Vigo together on 7 September 2026, with Getafe sitting 15th on three points and Celta 17th on two. A win for either side would offer some early breathing room from the relegation places.
José Bordalás returned to Getafe for a second spell in April 2023, replacing Quique Sánchez Flores and signing a contract extension through 2028, whereas Claudio Giráldez has been in charge at Celta since 12 March 2024, when he replaced Rafael Benítez and likewise extended his deal to 2028.
Getafe's last three results tell a familiar Bordalás story: a narrow home win over Racing Santander on 23 August, sandwiched between a 3-0 thrashing at Alavés on 15 August and a 1-0 defeat at Osasuna on 31 August. That low block shape suits Coliseum conditions, with those two away defeats suggesting it functions far better with a home crowd and a compact pitch behind it.
Celta meanwhile are scoreless in their last two league matches, having drawn 0-0 at Real Sociedad on 3 September and 0-0 at Valencia on 22 August. They also lost to Athletic Bilbao (0-2, 30 August) and Osasuna (1-2, 27 August) either side of those draws. One goal in four games is a problem that tactics alone won't solve.
Getafe are without Juanmi (knee) and Christantus Uche (ACL), while Abdel Abqar, Andrés García and Mario Martín are all doubts with thigh problems, which means Bordalás has little cover and may be forced to play the same defenders for the fourth successive game. Celta have Aleix Febas (ribs) and Borja Iglesias (calf) as doubts and losing Iglesias in particular would hurt, leaving Aspas as the only reliable focal point in the final third.
Getafe operate in a 5-3-2 or 4-4-2, with Enes Ünal as the main threat up front and Martín Satriano in support and the injury doubts over Abqar, García and Martín could leave Bordalás short of cover behind a backline that has already conceded three in a single away game this season. Celta prefer a possession based approach, often in a 3-4-3 or 5-2-3, with Aspas directing play and Williot Swedberg and Ilaix Moriba in midfield. Celta can build from the back but building from the back and creating chances are two different things and without Febas and Iglesias, their ability to create from central areas drops to Aspas and Swedberg, if neither finds their level, there is no bench depth to change it.
The last five meetings have produced three different winners and no run of back to back victories for either side: a 0-0 in February 2026, a 2-0 Getafe win in August 2025, a 2-1 Celta victory in May 2025, a 1-0 Celta win in November 2024 and a 3-2 Getafe success in February 2024.
Getafe are also carrying Conference League football, having beaten Partizan in their last European outing, which means this is their fourth competitive fixture in under three weeks. Celta's draw at Real Sociedad showed they can defend a low block and stay organised for ninety minutes but doing so against Getafe at the Coliseum while failing to score is a different kind of test entirely.
A 2-2 draw. Getafe's set piece threat and defensive organisation should allow them to go ahead, likely through Ünal from a dead ball or a counter and Getafe at the Coliseum in a low block setup is a harder place to overturn a lead than their away form suggests. The absences at the back, though, create space that Aspas and Swedberg can exploit once they find their footing and there should be enough room in behind a backline Bordalás is already rebuilding around absences to draw level and edge ahead. Celta's own doubts over Febas and Iglesias mean their substitution options are thin, which matters in a game that could go to the wire but Getafe should find a way to level again.
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?.
