PREVIEW: Villarreal head to Getafe as top-three hopes grow stronger | OneFootball

Villarreal travel to Getafe on Saturday looking to win back-to-back LaLiga matches and bolster their chances of a top-three finish.

Getafe have eased their relegation worries by picking up five points from their last three league games. After drawing with Girona and Celta Vigo, they beat Alaves 2-0 last time out. This run of form has moved Jose Bordalas’ team up to 11th place – but they are still just four points above the relegation zone, so the standings could change quickly in the next few weeks.

Only six points separate Athletic Club in 10th and Rayo Vallecano in 18th, so Getafe – like the other teams in the bottom half of the table – cannot afford to drop points unnecessarily.

Getafe have struggled to score this season, with just 18 goals in 23 matches rendering them one of the lowest-scoring teams in the league. Their home form has also been poor, earning only 12 points from 11 home games, which is the third-worst record in the league.

Villarreal are feeling confident after beating Espanyol 4-1 at home, which was a big boost after a tough run of four straight losses in all competitions in the latter half of January. A draw at Osasuna helped them recover, and they started February with an impressive win in Cornellà.

Villarreal have earned 45 points from 22 league games, thanks to 14 wins, three draws, and five losses. They are fourth in the table, seven points ahead of Real Betis in fifth and trailing third-placed Atlético Madrid on goal difference. With a game in hand, finishing in the top three is a real possibility.

Getafe are winless in their last 14 LaLiga matches against the Yellow Submarine, which is their longest winless streak against any top-flight opponent and includes a 2-0 loss to Villarreal earlier this season. Villarreal have only lost nine of their last 48 games against Getafe and have not been beaten by the Madrid club since January 2019.

Team news

Getafe will be missing Davinchi, Borja Mayoral, Abu Kamara, and Mario Martin through injury. Juanmi remains doubtful ahead of kickoff. Luis Vazquez, who has found the net twice in his first three appearances since joining on loan from Anderlecht, is expected to lead the attack again. Fellow loanee Martin Satriano should also start, while Djene Dakonam may slot into midfield.

For Villarreal, Logan Costa, Pau Cabanes, and Juan Foyth are ruled out. Late fitness checks will determine the availability of Willy Kambwala, Gerard Moreno, and Alfon Gonzalez. Nicolas Pepe impressed in a central role against Espanyol and is likely to continue there alongside Georges Mikautadze. The only possible adjustment to the previous lineup could see Alfonso Pedraza return at left-back following suspension.

Predicted lineups

Getafe: Soria; Abqar, Duarte, Romero; Femenia, Dakonam, Milla, Arambarri, Iglesias; Vázquez, Satriano

Villarreal: Junior; Mourino, Veiga, Marin, Pedraza; Buchanan, Parejo, Gueye, Moleiro; Pepe, Mikautadze