Alright let’s dive into how I tackled figuring out Getafe against Las Palmas today. Wanted to see who was playing and what tricks they might have up their sleeves.
First Move: Where’s the Info?
Woke up super early buzzing about this match, checked the usual spots. Yeah the lineups, I was trying to find them as soon as they dropped. Hit up the official Getafe Twitter feed first thing – nada. Then bounced over to Las Palmas’s feed. Bingo! They were quicker, put theirs out maybe an hour before kickoff. Saw names like Munir and Kirian Rodriguez starting.
Got impatient waiting for Getafe. Ended up refreshing LiveScore like mad. Felt kinda annoying, why’s it take so long? Finally popped up there, and later the Getafe feed confirmed it: Greenwood, Mayoral starting, Mata too. Okay, good start, knew the main actors.
The Formation Puzzle
Now about those tactics. Both teams just list names, right? Doesn’t tell you squat about where they’re playing or how they’ll set up. Needed to dig deeper.
- Looked at who was playing: Seeing Jordi Martin and Diego Rico both starting on the sides? That screamed wing-backs to me. Not fullbacks.
- Checked the ‘core’: Djene, Alderete, and that new kid Diego Rico… three central defenders? Hmm. Plus Carmona sitting deep? Felt like a back five brewing. Classic Bordalas vibes.
Compared it to last week. Dropped Alvarez who usually anchors the midfield. Instead had Carmona and Milla hanging back, kinda like two defensive minds shielding that back five. Mata playing just off Greenwood? Different look upfront. Started sketching it out on paper: 5-3-2, basically. Solid at the back, relying on the wing-backs to bomb forward.
Las Palmas’s Game
Had to see what they were cooking. Manager Pimienta usually likes keeping the ball, playing pretty. Noticed they started Javi Munir upfront, kinda isolated, with Moleiro and Kirian pulling the strings behind him. Looked like a 4-5-1 trying to control the middle.
BIG clue: Saw how Getafe lined up with the ball first half. Their defenders pushed WAY wide, almost like touchline huggers, especially that kid Diego Rico. And Borja Mayoral? He kept drifting wide right all the damn time, opening space for Greenwood. Total classic wing-back + wide forward combo play. Confirmed my 5-3-2 suspicion.
Putting It Together
Watched how they actually moved. The main thing:
- Getafe: That back five was BRICK WALL. Solid. Hard to break down. Built attacks through the sides with those wing-backs (Martin especially was everywhere). Mata linking up, Greenwood drifting and making runs. Felt like Bordalas saw the threat and went for pure defensive grind.
- Las Palmas: Felt frustrated trying to find gaps. Munir was stranded up top lots. They had loads of possession in the middle, but couldn’t create clear chances against that Getafe wall. Too narrow? Maybe missing an extra attacking spark.
Big realization watching live: Sometimes it looked like Getafe was in a 4-4-2, especially when attacking. Carmona dropped deep between the center-backs. But nah, looking closely, it was still fundamentally a five. They just masked it really well sometimes. They played smart, not rigid.
Why It Mattered
So yeah, Getafe banking on their gritty 5-3-2 worked. Got the win. Las Palmas with their possession game looked nice but couldn’t crack the code. Seeing those lineups early was one thing, but puzzling out how they’d actually play based on names and past patterns? That’s where the real fun is. Simple names on a sheet? Overrated. Figuring out the picture they make? That’s the gold.