It is no exaggeration to say that Getafe are battling with half of La Liga for their spot in the division next season, and yet visitors Villarreal seem to be in a two-team competition for third spot with Atletico Madrid. Manager Marcelino Garcia Toral was keen to give their season due credit, referring to their Liga campaign as ‘extraordinary’ beforehand, and their trip to the Coliseum was evidence that their achievements have not come easy.
If the Yellow Submarine were heavy favourites to make the running in the game, the surprise came with Getafe sinking them deep into their own half. Condensing the game into the middle of the pitch with a high line, it meant little time on the ball for either side, and the spanner in Villarreal’s plans was causing breakdowns in their defence too. The best chance of the opening period came from Luis Milla sliding it past the far post from an angle through a series of bodies.
✨ 𝑨𝑼𝑹𝑨𝒎𝒃𝒂𝒓𝒓𝒊 🎱
— Getafe C.F. (@GetafeCF) February 14, 2026
It was symptomatic of Los Azulones working out how to stretch the game where desired, and shrink it when necessary. It looked as if the game would drift into the break in relatively sedate fashion, but when Arambarri hooked a ball into the box six minutes before the break, Luis Vazquez nearly got a head on the ball in the six-yard box. He went down, the appeals went up, and after a VAR review, Renato Veiga was found to have pulled his shirt. Mauro Arambarri thumped the penalty central, and the Coliseum went up in celebration too. Villarreal, who have only been outscored by Barcelona and Real Madrid this season, finished the half with just one shot on target.
The introduction of Ayoze Perez at half time from Marcelino in place of 18-year-old debutant Hugo Lopez did little to turn the tide though, and if anything, Getafe became more convinced of their play. Ten minutes into the second half, Dani Parejo tried to play out from deep, and set his side in motion. The Getafe press caught up to Pau Navarro though on the edge of his own box, and Arambarri was able to put Juan Iglesias into crossing position down the left. His ball was perfect for Martin Satriano to head down into the near corner for his first goal since joining on loan.
Now two goals to the good, Getafe’s confidence swelled, and it was through sequences of quick short passing they were able to release Iglesias and Kiko Femenia down the flanks to keep Villarreal on the back foot. Marcelino was struggling to find answers to break Getafe down, but they were at least getting into their half now. The value of which became apparent with 15 minutes to go, when a Pape Gueye shot was blocked into the path of Georges Mikautadze through on goal. After dummying a defender and hitting the post from close range, the ball was kind enough to bounce off him and in.
¡HASTA EL FINAL, VILLARREAL! ¡VAMOS!
— Villarreal CF (@VillarrealCF) February 14, 2026
At that point, Getafe did as they do best, seeking to interrupt the rhythm of the match, and make Villarreal stretch for every pass. The reality is that their goal was against the run of play, and now handed territory and the ball, the Yellow Submarine were no closer to finding the answers in the final moments.
Getafe snapped their nine-game winless run against Alaves last weekend to provide breathing room, and following a second victory, the fresh winter air on a sunny afternoon smelled of sweet midtable comfort. That’s what the roaring Coliseum was high on by the final whistle. Seven points separate Getafe and Rayo Vallecano in 18th, a gap that has done wonders for what was a plummeting morale just a month ago.
🆕 El estreno de Satriano.
¡El delantero uruguayo del @GetafeCF anota su primer gol en LALIGA EA SPORTS con el conjunto azulón!
GetafeVillarreal | LALIGAHighlights
— LALIGA (@LaLiga) February 14, 2026
On the other hand, 2026 is proving far less extraordinary than the rest of Villarreal’s season. It seemed as if Villarreal had put their problems behind them with a comfortable win over Espanyol, but it stands as their lone victory in six. At the Coliseum, Villarreal never looked comfortable, couldn’t find answers, and perhaps most concerning of all, looked short on fuel, more emotionally than physically, to reverse the tide on this occasion.
