Getafe 3-1 Tenerife LaLiga 123 play-off final: match report as Getafe promoted

Getafe 3-1 Tenerife: match reports

Pepe Bordalás changed his attack as his Getafe in search of a goal as they trailed 1-0 from the first leg against a Tenerife side who dine out on counter-attacking football. What we were treated to was a goalfest of epic proportions that ended with the Coliseum Alfonso Perez erupting as Getafe go back up to the top flight at the first time of asking.

A frenzied first 45 ensued that seemed like every chance created resulted in a goal. The first real chance for Getafe fell to Alejandro Faurlin and he vollied home with his trusty left foot to give the home side the lead.

The Madrid side couldn't believe it themselves when they went 2-0 up after 13 minutes when Dani Pacheco struck just inside the penalty area where he found himself unmarked with an opening in the goal that he slotted the ball into with precision.

Tenerife were struggling massively on the defensive side of the ball but still had that spark that carried them this far when they attacked. A Gaku Shibasaki cross was met at the front post by Tony Lozano and he slid home to push Tenerife ahead on away goals in the tie, which meant they were making the jump to LaLiga at that point.

But Dani Pacheco, who missed the first leg due to suspension, was not to be denied as he struck after 37 minutes to turn the game on its head yet again. Jorge Molina saw his shot saved first time but Pacheco arrived late and sent a shot crashing to the back of the net to leave Tenerife scratching their heads yet again.

The second half didn't have as many goals, or as many chances, but the tension and consequences of every pass increased. Getafe refused to back off until the bitter end with the finish line in sight while Tenerife were called for offside on a number of occasions as their eagerness got the better of them. With a little bit more awareness, they might have sprung the trap and created more.

In the end, with Getafe running down the clock in the hope of subduing their opponents and Tenerife trying desperately to get that goal, it was Getafe who would prevail in the game and on aggregate as they will play in LaLiga next season.

Tenerife will have to go back to the drawing board in an effort to mastermind their return to the top flight for the first time since 2009. For Getafe, however, they will hope their second ever trip to the top will be as long and longer again than their first. That stint started in 2004 and ended last season after 12 seasons. They have a busy and exciting summer ahead of them as they find themselves amongst the big dogs yet again.

Getafe v Tenerife: live stream online

Getafe v Tenerife: live stream online preview

Tenerife travel to the Coliseum Alfonso Pérez with a slender advantage from the first leg of the play-off final. A headed goal from Jorge Saenz was the difference on Wednesday evening on the Canary Islands. Tonight, the stakes are high. The two teams will battle for the final place in the Primera.

Whoever emerges victorious will have little time to prepare for the upcoming season in the top flight. Many clubs are nearing a return to pre-season, yet Getafe and Tenerife do not yet know which division they will form part of. It is little surprise that two of the last three clubs to gain promotion via the play-offs (Osasuna and Córdoba), were relegated straightaway. Las Palmas bucked the recent trend in managing to consolidate their top-division status.

As a reminder, if Getafe win 1-0, they will be promoted by virtue of having finished in 3rd place, one place higher than Tenerife. The match would not be decided by penalties, but by league position in the regular season. 

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Getafe

Getafe recovered from the wobble in the first leg of the semi-final against Huesca to march on to the final. The team from the outskirts of Madrid have responded well to relegation from LaLiga at the end of the 2016/16, quickly cultivating the winning mentality that is often so hard to regain following a drop down the divisions.

Veteran striker Jorge Molina was decisive in the semi-final, netting twice in the first leg. Getafe will need his nous in front of goal. Former Liverpool man Dani Pacheco will return from a one-match ban to bolster El Geta’s attack.

Yet José Bordalás may have some injury concerns to contend with. Cala and Francisco Molinero both limped off during the first leg at Tenerife, the former with a hamstring injury that will rule him out this evening.

Ángel Torres, the Getafe president, has generated controversy by charging travelling Tenerife fans an eye-watering €80 for tickets. Interestingly, he maintained that “for us it is not expensive”, while talking on Spanish radio programme El Larguero. Torres’ pricing structure leaves a particularly bad taste given that, in the semi-final, Cádiz and Tenerife reached a reciprocal agreement to cap tickets for travelling fans at €15.

Tenerife

The last time Tenerife won promotion to the top flight of Spanish football in 2008/09, they finished third behind Xerez and Zaragoza, before the introduction of the play-off system. They finished the following season 19th, and then 20th the year after to plummet to Segunda B. They have had mixed fortunes in the Segunda in the four years since their return, but are now on the cusp of another stint at the summit of Spanish football.

The islanders boast one of the most potent attacks in the second flight. Young Senegalese forward Amath, on loan from Atlético Madrid, has been the spearhead, scoring 13 times.

Gaku Shibasaki runs the show in midfield. The Japanese international is on loan from Kashima Antlers, for whom Shibasaki scored two goals in the Club World Cup final against Real Madrid.

José Luis Martí may be without captain Suso, who limped off during the first leg with a grimace on his face.

Getafe v Tenerife: live stream online betting and odds

Getafe are at 5-1 to secure the 1-0 win that would see them promoted as a result of finishing above Tenerife during the regular season. 

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