Getafe 2-1 Villarreal
It is no exaggeration to say that Getafe are battling with the La Liga side for their place in the division next season, yet visitors Villarreal appear to be in a two-way tie for third place with Atletico Madrid. Manager Marcelino Garcia Toral was keen to give his season the credit it deserves, referring to their Liga campaign as ‘extraordinary’ earlier, and their trip to the Coliseum was proof that their success did not come easily.
If Yellow Submarine were the big favorites to run into the game, the surprise came when Getafe plunged between them. Squeezing the game into midfield with the top line, meant less time on the ball for both sides, and the wrench in Villarreal’s plans was causing a breakdown in their defence. The best chance of the opening period came from Luis Milla sliding past the far post from an angle through a series of bodies.
β¨ π¨πΌπΉπ¨ππππππ π± pic.twitter.com/ZnUOoFMgAY
– Getafe CF (@GetafeCF) February 14, 2026
It was a sign of Los Azulones working in a way to stretch the game where they wanted, and shrink when necessary. It looked like the game was going to go into half-time on a sad note, but when Arambarri poked the ball into the box six minutes before half-time, Luis Vazquez almost got his 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 his shirt pulled. Mauro Arambarri scored a penalty, and the Coliseum erupted in celebration. Villarreal, who have only been beaten by Barcelona and Real Madrid this season, finished the half with just one goal.
Villarreal was caught in Getafe’s trap
The introduction of Ayoze Perez at half-time for Marcelino in place of 18-year-old Hugo Lopez did nothing to change the situation, and if anything, Getafe became more confident in their performance. Ten minutes into the second half, Dani Parejo tried to play deep, then shook his team. Getafe’s press caught Pau Navarro on the edge of his box though, and Arambarri was able to place Juan Iglesias at the bottom left corner. His ball was perfect for Martin Satriano to head into the far corner for his first goal since joining on loan.
Now the two goals were good, Getafe’s confidence grew, and with a quick succession of short passes they were able to free Iglesias and Kiko Femenia down to keep Villarreal on the back foot. Marcelino was struggling to find answers to break Getafe down, but at least they were getting into their own half now. Its value was seen with 15 minutes left, when Pape Gueye’s shot was blocked by Georges Mikautadze on goal. After misleading a defender and hitting the post from close range, the ball was kind enough to go off him and into the net.
Β‘HASTA EL FINAL, VILLARREAL! Β‘VAMOS! pic.twitter.com/R6GFJ5Gjs5
– Villarreal CF (@VillarrealCF) February 14, 2026
At that time, Getafe did as they did everything possible, wanting to disrupt the rhythm of the game, and make Villarreal stretch in every pass. The truth is that their goal was against the run of play, and now given the space and the ball, the Yellow Submarine was not close to finding answers in the final moments.
Getafe ended their run of nine games without a win against Alaves last weekend to give them some breathing room, and following a second win, the fresh winter air on a sunny afternoon smells good. That’s what the Coliseum roared up at the final whistle.
π El estreno de Satriano.
Β‘El delantero uruguayo del @GetafeCF scored his first goal in LALIGA EA SPORTS with the blue team!
GetafeVillarreal | LALIGA Highlights pic.twitter.com/RMAjEDb4Hx
β LALIGA (@LaLiga) February 14, 2026
On the other hand, 2026 is proving to be more unusual than Villarreal’s entire season. Villarreal looked to have put their troubles behind them with a comfortable win over Espanyol, but it’s only one win in six. At the Coliseum, Villarreal did not look comfortable, unable to find answers, and perhaps most of all, they seemed to lack the fuel, more emotionally than physically, to reverse the situation in this event.
