Hércules 0-0 Getafe: Neither Side Makes Chances Count In Alicante

An open, entertaining encounter that merited goals...
... Loose defending only outweighed by sloppy finishing and crossing...

Getafe and Hércules each passed up several chances to make their respective pressuer tell in an exciting match in Alicante that ultimately yielded no goals.

The visitors may well feel the most aggrieved at the result, for while the hosts arguably enjoyed the clearest opportunity of the game, Getafe enjoyed more of them.

The hosts started brightly, with Olivier Thomert and Tote looking especially active, the latter even having a goal correctly ruled out for offside.

Towards the end of the first period Getafe began to recover, though, the on-form Javier Casquero threatening, although there was a lack of end product from the flanks.

Adrián Colunga, still in the midst of a lean spell, was denied by the post shortly before the interval, and David Trezeguet displayed his own scoring troubles by missing a sitter shortly after the restart.

By far the best chance of the match fell to Javier Portillo with twenty-five minutes to go, but the ex-Real Madrid man, when unmarked in the box, contrived to shoot at the onrushing Jordi Codina instead of into the back of the net.

Miku enjoyed a fine chance right afterwards, but as the match wore on it became clear that neither side had what it took to break the deadlock, the last real action being when home defender Cristan Pulhac picked up a second booking.

The 0-0 draw Getafe remain eight points clear of the dropzone, while Hércules are just two points above the relegation spots.

Getafe enjoy a home derby clash with Atlético Madrid midweek, while Hércules make the long drive north to meet Villarreal.

Hércules: Calatayud; Juanfra, Abraham Paz, Pamarot, Pulhac; Tote (Kiko 71), Farinós (Fritzler 77), Tiago Gomes, Thomert; Trezeguet, Portillo. Getafe: Codina; Miguel Torres, Cata Díaz, Rafa, Mané; Pedro Ríos (Manu del Moral 46), Víctor Sánchez, Casquero, Gavilán (Arizmendi 86); Colunga (Parejo 75), Miku.

Getafe 0-1 Racing Santander: Dull Clash Settled By Late Penalty

0-1 Pinillos (pen.) 88'

Careless play and questionable refereeing makes for dull encounter...
... Late penalty decision and red card correct nonetheless...

For the second week in a row Getafe conceded a late penalty as the Azulones fell 1-0 to rivals Racing Santander at home.

An unusually large crowd assembled at the Coliseum in the hopes of seeing a routine win over the struggling Cantabrians, but in fact a cagey first period and a disappointing second resulted in a home defeat.

The first half was mainly dominated by long balls from both sides, with few chances of note for either team.

Stats Getafe - Racing 54% Possession 46% 1 Shots on target 5 7 Corners 4 106 Balls Lost 108 78 Balls Recovered 85 1 Yellow Cards 2 1 Red Cards 0 11 Fouls Committed 12

Indeed, Getafe didn't meaningfully test Toño once during the opening forty-five, and not until five minutes before the break did Racing really threaten as Ariel Nahuelpan shot over after beating Cata Díaz.

Referee Estrada Fernández missed what appeared to be a penalty for Getafe five minutes after the break as Pablo Pinillos handled a Jaime Gavilán cross.

After a raft of substitutions for both sides, Jordi Codina was called into action to deny Pedro Munitis a rare goal, and Racing began to look dangerous.

Seventeen minutes from time substitute Giovani Dos Santos thought he'd given the Cantabrians the lead, only to be disappointed by the referee's whistle. This was an offside decision that spared Getafe's blushes, for replays seemed to indicate that the goal was legal.

Miku saved a Miku effort eight minutes from time before referee Fernández redeemed himself by getting a decision correct. Iván Marcano denied the excellent Dos Santos a clear opportunity in the box, and although the ex-Barcelona man did make the most of it, it was a reckless challenge from the Villarreal loanee.

Pablo Pinillos stepped up and buried the penalty, and the game was Racing's. Indeed, were it not for a wonder save from Codina a minute later Dos Santos may have had the goal he was denied earlier with an unmarked far post header.

Getafe could potentially now finish the weekend in the bottom half, depending on results involving Sevilla, Real Sociedad and Mallorca. Racing pull to within three points of the Azulones on 28.

Getafe: Codina; Víctor Sánchez, Cata Díaz, Marcano, Mané; Pedro Ríos (Albín 79'), Boateng, Casquero (Parejo 56'), Gavilán; Miku, Colunga (Adrián Sardinero 61'.) Red Card: Marcano 88' (professional foul) Racing: Toño; Pinillos, Henrique, Torrejón, Cisma; Lacen, Colsa; Kennedy (Dos Santos 66'), Munitis, Adrián (Arana 72'); Nahuelpan (Rosenberg 59').

Málaga 2-2 Getafe: Late collapse sees Getafe give up three points

0-1 Miku 8'
0-2 Colunga 23'
1-2 Julio Baptista (pen.) 80'
2-2 Rondón 90'

A game of two halves sees Getafe throw it all away...
... In an evenly-matched encounter the visitors could not hold their nerve...

Getafe threw away a two-goal lead at struggling Málaga, the Romareda encounter ending in a draw thanks to two late strikes from the hosts.

In truth it was probably the fairest outcome, although it's one that does neither side any favours. Getafe are not yet truly safe from relegation while Málaga, themselves deeply entrenched in the dropzone, need to pick up more wins than draws.

After eight minutes on-form Miku gave the Azulones the lead. The Venezuelan tapped in at the far post after home 'keeper Francesc Arnau failed to deal with Adrián Colunga's cross-cum-shot.

Stats Málaga - Getafe 58% Possession 42% 5 Shots on target 4 9 Corners 3 100 Balls Lost 105 88 Balls Recovered 66 4 Yellow Cards 4 0 Red Cards 0 13 Fouls Committed 14

Geta doubled their lead midway through the first period, and it was Colunga that found the net this time. The former Recreativo man showed characteristic poise to chip over the onrushing Arnau after getting on the end of Gavilán's long ball forward.

The hosts made two changes at the break and came out the better side in the second period. They were able to put Getafe under considerable pressure, and this eventually told in the form of a goal.

Ten minutes from time Iván Marcano handled the ball in the area, giving ex-Real Madrid midfielder Julio Baptista the chance to net from the spot. The Brazilian made no mistake.

Málaga's comeback was complete in stoppage time as Sandro Silva's cross found Seba Fernández ready to tee up José Rondón for a dramatic winner.

Getafe will finish the weekend in the top half, but are just nine points from safety in what is a tightly-bunched chasing pack ahead of the visit of rivals Racing Santander next week. Málaga remain last and must travel to Villarreal in matchday 24.

Málaga: Arnau; Manolo Gaspar, Demichelis, Weligton, Eliseu; Nacho Camacho (Sandro Silva 63'), Recio; Maresca (Portillo 46'), Baptista, Fernando (Seba 46'); Rondón. Getafe: Ustari; Miguel Torres, Cata Díaz, Marcano, Mané; Pedro Ríos (Víctor Sánchez 81'), Boateng, Casquero, Gavilán (Parejo 86'); Miku (Albín 65'), Colunga.

Getafe 4-1 Deportivo La Coruña: Commanding Getafe turn it around

1-0 Colunga 19'
2-0 Colunga 26'
3-0 Miku 44'
4-0 Pedro Ríos 56'
4-1 Riki (pen.) 68'

Getafe back to winning ways with thumping win over Galicians...
... Positive start showed renewed confidence and definition...

Getafe recorded their first win of 2011 in style by putting four goals past struggling Deportivo La Coruña at the Coliseum Alfonso Pérez on Saturday.

Both sides were on miserable runs coming into the early evening fixture, with Geta's last Liga victory being all the way back in mid-December at Almería, and Depor's in Bilbao on January 2nd.

The visitors, with just five away goals to their name coming into this encounter, lined up in a typically defensive 5-4-1, while Getafe modified their usual 4-2-3-1 into a slightly more attacking 4-4-2. Javier Casquero made his return to the first eleven, with Pedro Ríos and Jaime Gavilán supporting Miku and Adrián Colunga from the flanks.

Stats Getafe - Depor 48% Possession 52% 9 Shots on target 9 5 Corners 7 83 Balls Lost 81 71 Balls Recovered 60 5 Yellow Cards 4 0 Red Cards 0 10 Fouls Committed 8

Getafe's mixture of wide and central play had the A Coruña men on the back foot from the outset, and despite an early injury to Miguel Torres the hosts were swiftly to take the lead.

Colunga opened the scoring in the 19th minute with an opportunistic finish after Deportivo's defence completely failed to defend a set-piece counter.

As much as the first goal was a true striker's strike, the second was a work of art. It started with another Deportivo error, Rubén Pérez giving the ball away in midfield, permitting Gavilán to play Colunga through on goal. The forward skipped past Aranzubia and from the narrowest of angles then clipped the ball past the onrushing centre-backs.

On the stroke of half time, Gavilán was again the architect for the third, slotting a low pass for Miku on the edge of the area, allowing the Venezuelan to take the ball on the turn and fire home.

Depor's Riki hit the woodwork just after the break, but Pedro Ríos showed that the hosts were far from finished. Gavilán registered his third assist of the day with a deep cross for the Jerez native to touch past Aranzubia.

Riki pulled one back in the 68th minute with a controversial penalty, given for handball against Víctor Sánchez, but it was abundantly clear by this point that the match was over as a contest.

Getafe travel to Málaga in the next matchday, while Deportivo welcome Villarreal to Galicia.

Getafe: Ustari; Miguel Torres (Víctor Sánchez 17'), Cata Díaz, Marcano, Mané; Pedro Ríos, Boateng (Borja 62'), Casquero, Gavilán; Miku, Colunga (Pablo Pintos 68'.) Deportivo: Aranzubia; Laure, Colotto, Aythami, Zé Castro, Manuel Pablo; Míchel (Riki 46'), Juan Domínguez, Rubén Pérez, Adrián (Xisco 65'); Lassad (Valerón 60'.)