It took 15 minutes for Getafe keeper David Soria to be tested with successive point-blank saves, as the visitors played second fiddle to the hosts’ aggressive attacking style early on. The stage was set for an exciting encounter under overcast Bilbao skies, and given the stakes at hand, Getafe upped the ante going forward, well aware of their precarious position in the midst of an eight-point squeeze between ninth and 19th place.
Mounting pressure on the hosts, Azulones defender Omar Alderete first rose high to force Julen Agirrezabala into a brilliant save, before Nemanja Maksimović sent his effort wide of the left post. However, despite the flurry of headers against them, La Liga’s third tallest squad were left unaffected going into the second period.
Post restart, it was Getafe bearing the brunt of Bilbao attacks once again. Ernesto Valverde executed a hattrick of substitutions on the hour mark, making the most of which, they switched to a makeshift four-man midfield. However, it was late substitute Raúl Garcia who thwarted a point-blank opportunity with an acrobatic effort that would have made waves if it didn’t go miles wide of the goal. Getafe couldn’t help but play on the counter as the final minutes approached, but to no avail, as the duo ended sharing a point apiece.
A fourth straight H2H draw means both sides failed to inch closer to their season targets, leaving them desperately needing points with 11 games to go. Quique Sánchez Flores’ Getafe remain winless away in La Liga since October 2022, although they will rejoice registering a first clean sheet in seven games on the road. The Basque giants on the other hand, will rue succumbing to a third straight home league game without a win.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Omar Alderete (Getafe)
