Getafe host Racing Santander at the Coliseum on 23 August 2026, only the second matchweek of the La Liga season but the fixture already has something at stake. Getafe are coming off a 0-3 thumping by Alavés on opening day, whereas Racing earned a 2-2 draw at Villarreal. José Bordalás, who took charge in April 2023, needs a response, José Alberto López, managing Racing since December 2022, wants to prove the promotion was not a fluke.
Bordalás and López have met four times, with Bordalás winning two and losing two. This is actually their first meeting since López returned to the top flight, so it is genuinely hard to know how his possession oriented setup will handle Getafe's physical pressing game at full La Liga intensity.
Getafe's week sent mixed messages: the 3-1 win over Partizan in the Conference League qualifier on 20 August showed they can score but the 0-3 defeat to Alavés five days earlier showed they can be taken apart when teams press them high. Racing came away from Villarreal with a 2-2 draw on 16 August, though the two goals conceded will give López cause for concern.
Bordalás is missing Juanmi through a knee injury, Kiko Femenía through suspension and Christantus Uche through injury. Losing Femenía is probably the most disruptive, since he was the first choice right-sided outlet for both defensive shape and crossing and Uche's absence thins the forward options further. Ünal and Satriano are likely to start up front, with Ramón Terrats anchoring midfield. Racing's injury list is arguably more damaging: Giorgi Guliashvili is out with a broken leg, Pedro Felipe is sidelined and Yassir Zabiri is also unavailable. Guliashvili was the mobile forward who stretched defences during the promotion run and without him López must ask Iñigo Vicente and Andrés Martín to fill in further forward.
Getafe's approach centres on defensive structure, aggressive pressing and set piece delivery, none of which changes regardless of personnel. Without Femenía, Bordalás has no natural replacement for the crossing from the right channel, though Ünal's hold up play and Satriano's runs in behind could expose a Racing backline that defended loosely at Villarreal. Racing managed stretches of open, forward football at Villarreal, with Sergio Canales picking passes between the lines and triggering forward moves, Gustavo Puerta winning second balls in the middle and Vicente cutting inside from the left to create. The problem is that without Guliashvili, Zabiri and Pedro Felipe there are not many bodies to rotate if the game opens up, which leaves Canales and Vicente carrying a great deal.
The midfield duel between Terrats and Puerta will likely determine how the second half unfolds. If Terrats screens well, Getafe stay compact and Ünal and Satriano counter with space to use, if Puerta dominates the second balls, Racing can push forward and exploit the gap Femenía's absence leaves on the right.
In La Liga, Getafe have won seven meetings against Racing to Racing's six, with three draws and Getafe have taken five of eleven fixtures played at the Coliseum.
Getafe have consistently been dangerous from corners and free kicks at home and even without Femenía, Ünal and Satriano both win headers in the box, so dead balls could prove decisive. Racing contributed several set piece goals during their promotion season and will look to Vicente's delivery to find Canales or whoever fills in for the absent forwards. Fitness is also worth considering, given that Getafe played in Europe on 20 August, three days before this fixture, while Racing had a full week to prepare, extra recovery time that could allow López's side to press more aggressively and for longer, which is a concern if Bordalás's squad is carrying any midweek fatigue.
We are going with a 2-1 Getafe win on the basis that Racing's depleted forward line makes it unlikely they will find more than one goal. The Conference League fixture midweek is a slight concern but Racing scored twice at Villarreal and will probably find the net here too, just not enough to take anything from the Coliseum.
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?.
