Getafe vs Valencia

May 17, 2013
By: Nemanja Lazarevic

After putting a dent into Real Soceidad’s Champions League bid, Getafe will be looking the same when they welcome Valencia to Coliseum Alfonso Perez. Los Che are brimming with confidence having neutralized a five-point gap behind la Real and they will fancy their chances of beating out-of-form hosts.

Four defeats in last five

The club from the suburbs of Madrid have established themselves as a genuine top table side, mostly thanks to the strategy of giving the chance to players rejected by local rivals Real and Atletico. The squad now consist almost exclusively of home-based players, with Federico Fernandez, Mehdi Lacen and Ahmed Barrada the only foreigners at the moment. Getafe have done pretty well this season, having joined the chase for European places, but the latest disappointing run of results is likely to cost them European qualification. Los Azulones not only won just one of last seven matches, but also lost four of last five, meaning they are five points adrift of European places with just three games to go. A victory over Valencia could help keep their dream alive, but their current form doesn’t give them much to hope for at the moment. With their opponents very motivated to win the final Champions League berth and playing excellent football at the moment, I wouldn’t bet on Getafe getting something from this clash.

Sergio Escudero, Alexis and Diego Castro all return, but Paco Alcacer, Miguel Torres and Rafael Lopez are unavailable.

Back in business

This season didn’t have the best of starts for Valencia as inexperienced boss Mauricio Pellegrino struggled to get the best out of his side, but thing started improving when Ernesto Valverde took over. While the team were somewhat unfortunate to be eliminated from the Champions League, European exit proved to be a blessing in disguise as los Che seriously improved their performances in Spanish La Liga. The team did really well to return into the top 4 race, although their bid looked to be over when the defeat at Real Sociedad left them five points behind their rivals. Valencia, nonetheless, produced two stunning displays to record 4-0 wins over Osasuna and Rayo Vallecano, and are now tied on points with la Real. Their opponents may have better head to head record, but los Che have a much easier fixture list and plan to make the first step towards a fourth-placed finish by winning against Getafe. Having done so well of late, Ernesto Valverde’s side should be able to pour more misery on the Madrid outfit.

Tino Costa and Jonas return from injury and suspension respectively, but Sergio Canales, Adil Rami and Antonio Barragan are set to miss out.

Verdict

Getafe have little to play for at the moment seeing they are virtually out of the race for European positions and their dismal form is another cause for concern. Valencia, on the other hand, are playing their best football of the season and they look a good bet to extend their winning run to three La Liga games.

Top pick: Away win   1.83 (5/6) @ 888sport

Alternative pick 1: Valencia to score two or more   1.75 (3/4) @ William Hill

Alternative pick 2: Valencia to score three or more   3.40 (12/5) @ Coral

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