The match at Anoeta began as a celebration, almost as a natural extension of the glorious night lived days before in La Cartuja. Real Sociedad, still enveloped in the recent echo of their Copa del Rey, offered the trophy to their people while Getafe, disciplined, formed a guard of honor. There were applause, smiles, and a shared sense of recognition. For a few minutes, football was secondary. Anoeta pulsed to the rhythm of recent happiness, still undigested. But football doesn’t understand prolonged tributes. As soon as the ball started rolling, the ceremony was left behind and the real match emerged. And there, Getafe made it clear that they had not traveled to be mere extras. They never do. Even less so now, when they are fighting for a goal that seemed unattainable a few months ago.
The first half was, in essence, the script Real would never have wanted to write. And, at the same time, the one Getafe executed with surgical precision. The Donostiarras had the chance to take the lead in an action that could have changed the course of the match: a penalty for a handball by Abqar after a header by Brais Méndez, awarded after VAR intervention. It was a golden opportunity, but Brais missed. The error not only maintained the draw but sowed an unease that Getafe knew how to interpret. Until that moment, Bordalás’s team had barely troubled Remiro. But they don’t need much to cause damage. In one of their few approaches, a cross from Juan Iglesias ended up turning into a local tragedy: Gorrotxategi, in his attempt to clear, sent the ball towards his own goal with a parabola impossible for Remiro.
From then on, the match entered the territory where Getafe feels most comfortable: interruptions, constant duels, fragmented rhythm. That other football they master. Real, caught between the emotional hangover and the frustration of the scoreboard, began to lose clarity. The Madrid team was not only winning; they were achieving something more valuable: exasperating their opponent. And in that territory, they rarely concede advantages.
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The entry of Oyarzabal and Barrenetxea, two of the recent heroes of the cup final, livened up the match. Real Sociedad finally found something akin to the speed they had lacked for minutes. Aramburu came close to equalizing in an action that turned out to be a mirage: his shot hit the post, but the play was disallowed for offside by Oskarsson. It was a warning without consequences, another blow of frustration for a team that was starting to accumulate merits without reward. Barrenetxea and Kubo insisted from the flanks, driving forward, forcing Getafe to fall back with even greater intensity.
But Bordalás’s team does not fall apart in such scenarios. On the contrary, they feel comfortable in discomfort. They knew how to resist, cool down the game, take it to that territory where every minute weighs more than the last and every interruption is golden. Real pushed, yes, but they did so without the necessary clarity to break down a defensive structure that rarely concedes more than is essential. The final stretch was an exercise in survival for Getafe and anxiety for Real. Anoeta, which had started the afternoon with chants and celebration, ended up in growing tension. There was no continuation for the party. Getafe took three points that strengthen their candidacy for something that no longer seems a pipe dream.
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| Standings | PTS | GP | W | D | L |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 44 | 32 | 13 | 5 | 14 |
7 | 44 | 32 | 11 | 11 | 10 |
| 8 | 42 | 32 | 11 | 9 | 12 |
9 | 41 | 32 | 12 | 5 | 15 |
10 | 39 | 32 | 10 | 9 | 13 |
| Standings | PTS | GP | W | D | L |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
4 | 57 | 32 | 17 | 6 | 9 |
5 | 49 | 32 | 12 | 13 | 7 |
| 6 | 44 | 32 | 13 | 5 | 14 |
| 7 | 44 | 32 | 11 | 11 | 10 |
| 8 | 42 | 32 | 11 | 9 | 12 |
