There’s a big season ahead for Getafe, who fresh from their best ever league finish are back in Europe and will be hoping to build on their success last term. Read on for our Getafe season preview for 2019-20.
Last Season – 5th
It’s testament to how brilliantly Getafe did last season that by the end of it, there was a tinge of disappointment on missing out on Champions League qualification. They were in the hunt for 4th until the very final day and while they were ultimately pipped by Valencia, finishing 5th in just their second season back in the top flight was a tremendous achievement. Again it was their defensive prowess that formed the foundations for their success with just 35 goals conceded, a record only Atletico Madrid could better. Meanwhile at the other end, the veteran strike pairing of Jorge Molina and Jaime Mata proved a massive hit with the duo netting 14 times each in La Liga.
Getafe Transfers ahead of 2019/20
Players IN
Enric Gallego – €6m from Huesca
Nemanja Maksimovic – €5m from Valencia
Fayçal Fajr – €1.5m from Caen
Jack Harper – €1.5m from Malaga
Raúl Garcia – FREE from Girona
Allan Nyom – FREE from West Brom
Marc Cucurella – LOAN from Barcelona
Players OUT
Gaku Shibasaki – FREE to Deportivo de La Coruña
Álvaro Jiménez – LOAN to Albacete
Miguel Rubio – LOAN to Fuenlabrada
Chuli – RELEASED
Mathieu Flamini – RELEASED
(Transfers up to 9th August 2019)
Coach – José Bordalás
José Bordalás has worked wonders with Getafe guiding them from the Segunda Division to the Europa League during his three seasons at the club. His team’s physical approach and his at times confrontational style may have won him few friends around the league but nobody can dispute what a good job he has done with Geta. Despite some speculation he may move on to a bigger club this summer, Bordalás has stayed put and will be the man to take Getafe on their European adventure this term.
Possible Getafe Team Next Season
For any small club that is perceived to have over-achieved, the immediate and often very difficult challenge is to hold onto your best players and Getafe have done that this summer. That will stand them in good stead to have another strong campaign although the extra workload that Europa League football will bring, may test what is quite an old squad to the limit.
After such a strong campaign, José Bordalás is initially likely to show faith with the players that fired Geta into Europe in the first place. Despite rumoured Premier League interest, Djene Dakonam remains and the back four is a settled one with Allan Nyom and Raúl García coming in to provide capable back-up in the full-back areas.
The midfield is the one area of the team where Getafe could improve and we may see some fresh additions before the window shuts. Marc Cucurella is perhaps the only new arrival so far who may go straight into the team on the left flank. Nemanja Maksimovic has converted his loan move into a permanent deal and will occupy one of the central roles with Mauro Arambarri his most likely partner again, particularly now Mathieu Flamini has left the club. Dimitri Foulquier has return to parent club Watford which may offer Francisco Portillo more regular football this season although the midfield could see considerable rotation if Getafe go far in Europe.
Up front, Getafe’s veteran strike-force gets another late bloomer with 32 year old Enric Gallego arriving from Huesca as their biggest purchase of the window. Like Angel though, he’s likely to find dislodging Jaime Mata or Jorge Molina tough going.
Key Man – Jaime Mata
Jaime Mata puts @GetafeCF in front at the Coliseum Alfonso Perez! ?#GetafeSevillaFC pic.twitter.com/ja7GpTVYs5
— LaLiga (@LaLigaEN) April 21, 2019
Getafe are not a team of stars and they really have found their success as a team unit but Jaime Mata did add a little bit of genuine quality last season and that was a major reason why they managed to sustain a top six challenge. No Getafe player scored or created more goals than Mata last term. While doubts may linger over whether Jorge Molina can deliver the goods again in a season in which he will turn 38, Getafe should be able to rely on Mata for goals.
One to Watch – Hugo Duro
If Getafe do find themselves in need of a bit of youthful energy up top, they may well turn to 19 year old Hugo Duro. Born in Getafe, he is the kind of homegrown talent that could finally help build a greater sense of identity at this club over the years to come. Duro has an excellent record in the lower leagues with Getafe B and he made 11 appearances last term for the senior team so Bordalás is clearly a fan.
Getafe 2019-2020 Targets
It may be unrealistic to expect Getafe to challenge for the top four again but what they did last season was no fluke and was only really a natural progression from the previous campaign when they narrowly missed out on Europa League qualification. The extra volume of games will test the limits of this squad and if they do go far in Europe, a mid-table finish may be as good as it gets in La Liga unless they can add more depth to the squad with some late deals with the midfield looking a bit short on options right now.
Follow La Liga Expert on Twitter | Like us on Facebook
Getafe season preview via Mark Sochon
Contact: marksochon(at)hotmail.co.uk | @marksoc1 on Twitter
Be the first to comment