🏏 Sat, 15 Aug 2026 19:30 CEST
Deportivo Alavés
vs
Getafe
3-5-2 vs 3-5-2
Substitutes
Substitutes
Match Preview
- La Liga's opening weekend brings a clear stylistic contrast: Alavés line up in a 4-4-2 while Getafe field a 3-5-2. The visitors' back three of 193cm Romero, 188cm Ahmed Abqar and 34-year-old captain Djené is flanked by wing-backs Kiko Femenía and Davinchi, giving Getafe five across midfield. Alavés will look to attack the channels outside that back three with their front two.
- Two members of Getafe's defence know this ground well. Moroccan centre-back Ahmed Abqar, 27, won promotion with Alavés before joining Getafe in the summer of 2025, and 35-year-old Kiko Femenía also spent time at Alavés either side of five seasons at Watford. Both return to their former home with the job of shutting down the side that once employed them.
- The reunion runs both ways. Alavés substitute Carles Aleñá, 28, came through Barcelona's La Masia and, after a spell at Real Betis, built up his La Liga mileage at Getafe. The left-footed playmaker's delicate touch in tight areas makes him an obvious option from the bench if the game turns into a stalemate.
- Both midfields are built on balance. Antonio Blanco, 26, a Real Madrid academy graduate who settled at Alavés after a loan at Cádiz, screens alongside Pablo Ibáñez, 27, who fought his way up through Osasuna's youth system and works as a pure ball-winner. Getafe answer with Mario Martín, 22, another product of Real Madrid's La Fábrica, and left-footed box-to-box runner Ramón Terrats, 25.
- Denis Suárez is where Alavés' creativity lives. The 30-year-old has passed through Barcelona, Arsenal, Manchester City, Sevilla and Villarreal, and his final ball and dribbling remain his calling cards. Getafe captain Djené, only 178cm but sharp in the tackle and quick to read danger, is the man most likely to be sent to shadow him in central areas.
- The two strike partnerships could hardly be more different. Alavés' No. 11 Toni Martínez, 29, is a 187cm target man who spent four years at Porto and thrives on hold-up play, aerial duels and finishing inside the box. Getafe's No. 10 Martín Satriano, 23, stands 190cm but was schooled at Inter and shaped by loans at Brest, Empoli and Lyon into a mobile all-rounder who links play.
- The other half of Getafe's front two is an unusual pick: No. 21 Andrés García is a right-back by trade. The 23-year-old made 22 second-division starts for Levante with three goals and three assists before arriving via Aston Villa, so how high and how wide he operates will be one of the tactical questions of the opener.
- There is plenty to watch between the posts too. Sivera, 30, came through Valencia's academy and is trusted at Alavés for his reflexes, close-range shot-stopping and comfort with the ball at his feet. Getafe's David Soria, 33, is a 192cm veteran who won the Europa League during his Sevilla days. In a tight, low-scoring game their decision-making could settle it.
- Both benches carry proven La Liga finishers. Getafe can call on Borja Mayoral, 29, a Real Madrid academy product with Roma and Wolfsburg on his CV and a sharp instinct inside the area. Alavés have 33-year-old Marko Díaz, a Champions League and La Liga winner at Real Madrid who also played for Lyon and Sevilla. Late substitutions could easily change the shape of the night.