🏏 Sun, 23 Aug 2026 19:30 CEST
Getafe
vs
Racing Santander
3-5-2 vs 4-2-3-1
Substitutes
Substitutes
Match Preview
- Getafe begin matchday 2 in 17th place with no points and a minus-three goal difference after a 3-0 loss away at Alaves on the opening weekend. Racing Santander, back in the top flight for the first time in 14 years, sit eighth on one point after a 2-2 home draw with Villarreal. With Sevilla already on six points at the top, this is a chance for the promoted side to claim a first away win and for Getafe to open their account at home.
- The shape battle is Getafe's 3-5-2 against Racing's 4-2-3-1. Getafe can overload the centre with five midfielders, anchored by Belgium international Orel Mangala, a 28-year-old holding midfielder who came through Borussia Dortmund's academy and has played for Stuttgart and Nottingham Forest. Racing must cover that numerical gap with a double pivot of 19-year-old Martinez, at 185cm, and the 172cm Colombian Gustavo Puerta.
- Sergio Canales is the emotional heart of this Racing side. Born in Santander, the 35-year-old returned home this summer after a career at Real Madrid, Valencia, Real Sociedad, Real Betis and Monterrey, and is trusted with penalties, free-kicks and corners. He is the reference point for everything Racing build, and the question is whether his reading of the game can unlock a compact Getafe block.
- Racing's promotion was driven by two attackers who now face a top-flight test. Andres Martin, wearing 11, was the club's leading scorer with 17 goals last season and takes the second penalty; Inigo Vicente, the number 10, produced 9 goals and 21 assists and shares set-piece duty with Canales. One was raised at Rayo Vallecano, the other at Athletic Club, and both thrive in tight spaces.
- Getafe have stacked their back three with height. Zakaria Romero, a left-footed 193cm centre-back on loan from Club Brugge, lines up alongside 192cm Georgia international Saba Sazonov, a Zenit academy product with spells at Dinamo Moscow and Torino who joined on a free in August 2026. Holding the middle is 34-year-old captain Djene Dakonam of Togo, who at 178cm wins duels through pace and anticipation rather than size, and must handle the 184cm Villalibre.
- Up front Getafe pair the 190cm Martin Satriano, a 23-year-old Uruguayan raised at Inter with loan spells at Lyon, Brest and Empoli, with Turkey international Enes Unal, 29 and 187cm. Unal knows this club intimately, having scored 34 goals in 104 appearances for Getafe, and has also worn the colours of Manchester City and Villarreal. After a blank in the opener, the hosts need these two to hold the ball up high.
- Racing's goal is guarded by 25-year-old Julen Aguirrezabala, an Athletic Club academy goalkeeper who helped win the 2023-24 Copa del Rey and later spent time at Valencia. Left-footed and comfortable with the ball at his feet, he is a genuine part of the build-up, so his composure under Getafe's front-foot pressing will matter as much as his shot-stopping reflexes.
- Three Athletic Club products start for Racing: Aguirrezabala in goal, Inigo Vicente at number 10 and Asier Villalibre through the middle. Villalibre, a 184cm forward whose move was made permanent when the buy option was triggered, has also played for Alaves and Numancia. His work holding possession against Getafe's famously aggressive duels is one of the key sub-plots.
- Getafe's midfield five is flanked by two natural full-backs. On the left is 34-year-old Colombia international Johan Mojica, a veteran of Rayo Vallecano, Girona, Villarreal and Elche whose overlapping runs and crossing accuracy remain his best weapons; on the right is 23-year-old Andres Garcia, who arrived via Aston Villa and Levante. How much ground they can cover in both directions will shape the game on the flanks.
- The benches offer contrasting late options. Getafe can turn to 29-year-old Borja Mayoral, a Real Madrid academy graduate with Roma, Levante and Wolfsburg on his CV, whose instinct inside the box is his trademark. Racing hold back the 193cm Uruguayan centre-back Facundo Gonzalez, signed permanently from Juventus, and 21-year-old Moroccan attacker Yassir Zabiri, on loan from Rennes.