Getafe 2-2 Villarreal: we’re number 14!

Villarreal can take a two-match unbeaten streak into next season following today’s 2-2 draw with Getafe. This match was every bit the sort of disjointed match we expected, especially since Villarreal opted to rest some of our regulars and give time to a few others.

Getafe took a lead in the 13th minute when Angel Molina went around a sliding Funes Mori and found Portillo with his pass and the midfielder stuck it home. Villarreal had little to offer in attack, and nearly gave up a second goal which fortunately a VAR review (correctly) waved off for offside—not to mention an obvious foul. Funes Mori’s awful backpass created a great chance for Getafe, but Andrés denied Molina. Villarreal finally started to create a little bit of danger late in the half, and after Soria made a fine save on Pedraza to concede a corner, Dani Raba took the corner kick and found Vicente Iborra at the far post, who headed home (over Alvaro, really, more than any Getafe defender). Excellently taken goal. Carlos Bacca should have been in with a chance to score before the half ended but the play was wrongly pulled up for offside. Why not let it play out and go to VAR, guys?

HT Getafe 1-1 Villarreal

Valencia were winning 1-0 at Valladolid, so Getafe needed a second goal. They began strongly; Damian’s free kick was parried by Andrés and then he stopped Mata in a one-on-one. With 15 minutes left Getafe did take the lead, attacking down their right as they had all match; Angel Rodriguez found Maksimovic who easily scored. But with three minutes to go, Raba crossed to Iborra; Soria parried that header, but Gerard got the rebound on the net from a tight angle and Soria fumbled it into the net. At first play continued, but Gerard’s protests got the ref to award it and VAR agreed—it was clearly a goal.

The team stats were pretty much as expected: Getafe had 40% of the possession, completed 655 of under 300 passes; Villarreal had 60% of the possession, completed 77% of over 450 passes.

What was unusual—and illustrates the basic problem with this year’s Yellow Submarine—is that Getafe got 17 shots away (this is a team that averages 10). And most of those were set up by rushes down our left. Quintillá struggled there behind the attack-minded Pedraza, and got no help from Fuego or Trigueros.

MOTM: Iborra, who was playing in true box-to-box style, frequently a target man for our attacks; and Andrés, who had a couple of big saves. And Dani Raba acquitted himself pretty well, actually. Had one assist on the corner kick and while he didn’t get credit for a second one, his fine cross set up the shot Soria saved before Gerard followed up.

So, 44 points, we finish 14th. Valencia finish 4th. Getafe 5th, Sevilla 6th and Espanyol 7th so they will go to the Europa League next season.