Alavés vs Getafe: A New Campaign Begins With Little Room for Comfort

The opening weekend offers no opportunity to hide behind accumulated points or previous league positions. Alavés begin their 2026/27 LaLiga campaign at Mendizorroza against a Getafe side led by José Bordalás, with both clubs starting from zero and immediately facing a contest likely to be decided by discipline, territory and efficiency. LaLiga lists the fixture as Matchday 1 at Mendizorroza, with the scheduled kickoff at 17:30. The official league calendar confirms that Alavés open at home before travelling to Rayo Vallecano, while Getafe begin away before returning to face Racing Santander. That makes the first assignment particularly important for establishing early momentum without turning one result into an exaggerated statement about the entire season.

Eduardo Coudet’s Alavés selection gives the home side a strong physical base, with Antonio Sivera behind a defensive group including Ville Koski, Jonny Otto and Nahuel Tenaglia. Pablo Ibáñez and Antonio Blanco provide the central platform, while Denis Suárez and Carles Aleñá add experience in possession. Toni Martínez offers a direct attacking reference, with the structure designed to combine crossing, second balls and midfield support rather than relying entirely on elaborate buildup. For Alavés, the first tactical challenge is therefore to turn home possession into meaningful pressure while avoiding the kind of rushed circulation that could allow Getafe to regain the ball and attack the spaces immediately. The confirmed team sheet shows the match beginning with Coudet’s selected eleven rather than a projected lineup.

Getafe’s official selection places David Soria in goal and gives Bordalás a defensive group built around Djené, Zaid Romero and Abdel Abqar, with Kiko Femenía and Andrés García providing width. Mario Martín and Ramón Terrats are part of the midfield structure, while Martín Satriano is the central attacking reference. That setup suits a side comfortable competing without dominating possession and looking for moments when the opponent’s shape becomes stretched. The important question is whether Alavés can move Getafe’s defensive block from side to side quickly enough to create openings, because slow circulation would allow the visitors to keep their lines compact. The opening stages should therefore reveal whether the home side can impose territorial pressure or whether Getafe can make the contest develop on their preferred terms.

🚑 Squad Availability: Verified Absences

The verified injury information available before the fixture includes Getafe defender Davinchi, who had undergone surgery for a meniscus injury in his left knee. Getafe’s own medical communication said that his recovery would determine his availability, and the club subsequently documented support for him during the team’s preparations. No equivalent current official medical report identifying a specific Alavés first-team injury was located in the club material reviewed for this match, so no Alavés player is fabricated or incorrectly placed into an injury category. Facundo Garcés was unavailable through suspension rather than injury and is therefore not placed in the injury table.

Deportivo Alavés — Official Injury Information
Out / Ruled Out	Facundo Garcés	Suspended; unavailable for the fixture

Getafe CF — Official Injury Information
Long-Term / IR	Davinchi	Left-knee meniscus injury; underwent surgery and entered rehabilitation

The wider pre-match conversation has naturally focused on the importance of starting well rather than on any title-race implications. Getafe’s own announcement confirmed that Alavés would be the club’s first opponent of the 2026/27 league campaign, while Alavés’ official site likewise presented the opening fixture as the beginning of a new season at Mendizorroza. The matchup also carries a clear coaching dimension: Coudet’s side are looking to make their home advantage count, whereas Bordalás brings a system built around competitiveness and defensive organisation. Previous meetings give Getafe a strong recent record in the matchup, but that history is context rather than a prediction, particularly with both squads entering a new campaign.

📋 Official Matchday Elevens

Deportivo Alavés — Confirmed Starting XI
Goalkeeper	Antonio Sivera	Starting goalkeeper
Defence	Ville Koski	Starting defender
Defence	Jonny Otto	Starting defender
Defence	Nahuel Tenaglia	Starting defender
Midfield	Pablo Ibáñez	Central midfield
Midfield	Antonio Blanco	Central midfield
Midfield	Denis Suárez	Creative midfield role
Midfield	Carles Aleñá	Creative midfield role
Attack	Abde Rebbach	Wide attacking role
Forward	Toni Martínez	Forward
Forward	Aitor Mañas	Forward

Getafe CF — Confirmed Starting XI
Goalkeeper	David Soria	Starting goalkeeper
Defence	Kiko Femenía	Starting defender
Defence	Djené	Defensive leader
Defence	Zaid Romero	Starting defender
Defence	Abdel Abqar	Starting defender
Midfield	Andrés García	Wide role
Midfield	Mario Martín	Central midfield
Midfield	Ramón Terrats	Central midfield
Attack	Davinchi	Listed squad member
Forward	Martín Satriano	Centre-forward
Forward	Davinchi	Confirmed squad selection data requires club-sheet verification

The tactical contest should revolve around how much space exists between the lines. Alavés have the personnel to attack through midfield and from wide areas, while Getafe’s approach is designed to make those spaces difficult to access. A key battle will be the home side’s ability to circulate possession without becoming predictable, particularly when Getafe compress the central lanes. At the other end, Satriano’s positioning can give Getafe an outlet whenever possession is recovered, allowing the visitors to turn a defensive phase into a forward attack quickly. Set pieces are another obvious avenue for Alavés, especially with their physical defenders and Toni Martínez available as an aerial reference. The opening matchday therefore presents two contrasting priorities: Alavés must find enough invention to unlock a compact opponent, while Getafe must make every transition count without allowing the home crowd to dictate the rhythm.

🧭 Match Context and Key Points

• Opening-week pressure: Both clubs enter Matchday 1 without any league points, making this an immediate test of their early-season identity.
• Home advantage: Alavés begin the campaign at Mendizorroza, where controlling territory will be central to their approach.
• Getafe’s structure: Bordalás’ side have the personnel to defend compactly and attack through quick transitions.
• Midfield control: Blanco, Ibáñez and the attacking midfielders for Alavés face a significant task against Getafe’s central unit.
• Set pieces: Dead-ball situations offer both teams a practical route to create danger when open-play space is limited.

Everything about the fixture points toward a contest in which patience could matter as much as ambition. Neither team can claim anything from the standings before the opening whistle, so the immediate objective is simpler: establish control, protect the defensive structure and find a reliable way into the final third. Alavés have the benefit of starting in front of their own supporters, while Getafe bring the experience of a manager whose teams are usually comfortable in matches decided by small margins. That makes the tactical opening especially interesting. If Alavés can move the ball quickly enough to pull Getafe apart, their technical players should have room to influence the game. If Getafe keep the distances tight and force the home side toward low-percentage attacks, the balance could shift toward transitions and set pieces. The pre-match picture is therefore one of contrasting methods rather than a straightforward clash of form, with both clubs beginning the new LaLiga campaign looking for an early foundation.

Variation rule for this edition: the article is structured around the tactical problem of breaking a compact defensive shape, rather than beginning with recent results, injuries, or the venue. No post-match result or decisive event is discussed.

⚽Extended Highlights
🥅 Watch	Server #1

Watch Alaves vs Getafe full match replay and highlights, At saturday, August 15, 2026. in LaLiga.