Celta vs Getafe: Resumen

In a surprising start to the 2025-26 La Liga season, Getafe CF secured a commanding 2-0 victory over RC Celta de Vigo at the Estadio Abanca Balaídos on Sunday afternoon. The visitors demonstrated clinical finishing in the second half to silence the passionate home crowd of Vigo, who had high expectations following Celta's impressive 7th-place finish last season.

The match began cautiously with both sides testing each other's defenses, but it was after the interval when the game truly came alive. Adrián Liso broke the deadlock just two minutes into the second half, capitalizing on a defensive lapse from the home side. Getafe's tactical discipline, a hallmark of Pepe Bordalás' coaching philosophy, frustrated Celta throughout, despite captain Iago Aspas' repeated attempts to inspire a comeback. The visitors sealed their victory in the 72nd minute when Nigerian forward Christantus Uche converted a well-crafted opportunity following Ismael Bekhoucha's assist.

This result represents a significant early statement from Getafe, who have immediately jumped to 3rd in the table, while Celta find themselves in 19th position—a stark contrast to their expectations after last season's European qualification push. The Balaídos faithful departed disappointed, but with a full season ahead, Claudio Giráldez's men will have ample opportunity to recover from this opening day setback in what promises to be another competitive La Liga campaign.

"We executed our game plan perfectly today. Coming to Balaídos is never easy, but the team showed tremendous character and tactical discipline. This victory is the reward for our preparation during pre-season," said Pepe Bordalás, Getafe's manager, visibly pleased with his team's performance.

"I'm disappointed with the result, especially for our supporters who created an incredible atmosphere. We dominated possession but lacked efficiency in the final third. This is just the first match of a long season, and we will learn from today's mistakes," commented Claudio Giráldez, Celta's coach, after the match.

"David Soria was exceptional today. His saves kept us in the game during Celta's pressure periods, and that gave us the platform to secure this important victory," praised Bordalás, highlighting his goalkeeper's performance.

"It's not how we wanted to start the season, especially at home. We created chances but couldn't find the net. We need to be more clinical and convert our possession into goals," admitted Iago Aspas, Celta's captain and talisman.

"The team showed incredible resilience today. Scoring on my La Liga debut for Getafe is a dream come true, but more important is the three points we take home," stated Adrián Liso, Getafe's goalscorer, beaming with pride during the post-match interview.

The statistical breakdown of the RC Celta de Vigo versus Getafe CF encounter reveals a contrasting story to the final scoreline. Despite suffering a 2-0 defeat, the home side dominated possession with 64% compared to Getafe's 36%, highlighting Bordalás' pragmatic approach to away fixtures.

Celta registered 15 shots throughout the match with 6 on target, primarily through Iago Aspas and Ferran Jutglà's efforts, while Getafe managed just 7 shots with 3 finding the target—crucially converting 2 of those opportunities. The efficiency disparity proved decisive in this La Liga clash.

In terms of set pieces, Celta earned 9 corners compared to Getafe's 3, further emphasizing their territorial advantage. The home side completed 487 passes with an 89% success rate, while the visitors recorded 274 passes at 75% accuracy. Despite these numbers favoring Celta, Getafe's defensive solidity, anchored by Dakonam Djené, proved impenetrable.

The disciplinary record showed a typically physical Getafe performance, accumulating 4 yellow cards to Celta's 1, with Mauro Arambarri particularly combative in midfield, making 5 successful tackles. David Soria emerged as the standout performer with 6 saves, including two spectacular stops from Aspas that preserved Getafe's clean sheet and ultimately secured their impressive away victory in the La Liga opener.

17' - First significant chance falls to Celta's Iago Aspas, whose curling effort from 20 yards is brilliantly tipped around the post by David Soria. The resulting corner comes to nothing.

32' - Getafe threaten on the counter-attack through Christantus Uche, but his shot is blocked by a last-ditch tackle from Marcos Alonso. Celta supporters breathe a collective sigh of relief.

45' - Half-time whistle blows with the score 0-0. Celta have dominated possession but struggled to break down Getafe's disciplined defensive structure.

47' - GOAL! (0-1) - Getafe strike early in the second half! Adrián Liso capitalizes on hesitation in the Celta defense, intercepting a loose pass before finishing coolly past Yoel Lago. Silence descends upon Balaídos.

53' - Tactical substitution by Claudio Giráldez as Celta switch to a more attacking 4-3-3 formation, introducing more creativity in midfield to chase the equalizer.

69' - Spectacular save from David Soria to deny Ferran Jutglà's powerful header from Mingueza's cross. Getafe's goalkeeper is proving to be a formidable last line of defense.

72' - GOAL! (0-2) - Getafe double their advantage! Ismael Bekhoucha delivers a precise through ball to Christantus Uche, who clinically slots past Lago. The Nigerian's celebration is muted, having scored against his former youth team.

83' - Celta throw everything forward, with even Marcos Alonso joining the attack. Aspas hits the crossbar with a free-kick from 25 yards – summing up Celta's frustrating afternoon.

90+4' - Final whistle blows. Getafe secure an impressive 2-0 away victory to start their La Liga campaign in perfect fashion.

The rivalry between RC Celta de Vigo and Getafe CF has developed into an intriguing La Liga contest over recent years, with this latest encounter adding another chapter to their competitive history. Prior to Sunday's match, the teams had met 28 times across all competitions, with Getafe holding a slight historical advantage of 10 victories compared to Celta's 9, alongside 9 draws.

This result represents a significant reversal from their final meeting of the 2024-25 season, when Celta claimed a 2-1 victory at the Coliseum Alfonso Pérez. The head-to-head record at Balaídos had previously favored the home side, making Getafe's clean sheet victory even more impressive.

Tactically, the individual battle between Celta's veteran captain Iago Aspas and Getafe's defensive stalwart Dakonam Djené proved pivotal. Despite Aspas' reputation as one of La Liga's most clinical finishers, Djené's disciplined marking limited the Spaniard's effectiveness, while goalkeeper David Soria produced crucial saves when called upon.

In midfield, the contest between Fran Beltrán and Mauro Arambarri highlighted the stylistic contrast between the teams—Beltrán attempting to dictate play with his passing range, while Arambarri disrupted Celta's rhythm with his physical presence and tactical intelligence.

Historically, matches between these sides have averaged 2.1 goals per game, slightly above the 2.0 witnessed today. However, Getafe's clean sheet was somewhat against the trend, as both teams had scored in six of their previous seven encounters. This result suggests Bordalás has successfully reinstilled the defensive resilience that characterized his first spell at Getafe, potentially signaling a shift in the competitive dynamic between these established La Liga clubs.

The opening weekend of the 2025-26 La Liga season has produced an early contrast in fortunes for RC Celta de Vigo and Getafe CF. Following their convincing 2-0 victory at Balaídos, Getafe have catapulted to 3rd position in the table with 3 points and a +2 goal difference, trailing only Barcelona and Real Madrid who both recorded more emphatic wins.

Meanwhile, Celta find themselves languishing in 19th place after this disappointing home defeat, with only Sevilla below them following a heavier loss elsewhere. This position represents a dramatic early-season reversal for Claudio Giráldez's side, who finished an impressive 7th last season and harbored ambitions of challenging for European qualification again.

For Getafe, this result provides an excellent foundation for what they hope will be a significant improvement on last season's 13th-place finish. Under Pepe Bordalás' guidance, the Madrid-based club has consistently punched above their weight in recent years, and this early indication suggests they might push for a top-half finish this campaign.

While it's premature to draw definitive conclusions after just one match, the psychological boost of starting with an away win against a team that finished six places above them last season cannot be overstated for Getafe. Conversely, Celta will need to regroup quickly, with their next fixture—away to Valencia—already taking on greater significance as they seek to kickstart their La Liga campaign and climb from their unexpectedly low position.