La Liga: Los Periquitos are Unabashed of the Noise They’re Making

Getafe vs Espanyol

Don’t look now, but Espanyol are making a run for Europe next season, catching many La Liga fans off guard, considering where they finished last season. Manolo Gonzalez has done a superb job of guiding Los Periquitos to new heights, and it’ll be interesting to see whether they can sustain their momentum throughout the 2025-26 campaign.

Espanyol improved to fifth in the Spanish top-flight standings with 27 points after stringing together three consecutive wins against Sevilla (2-1), Celta Vigo (1-0), and Rayo Vallecano (1-0). They will be put to the test when they visit Getafe at the Coliseum Stadium this Saturday night.

Meanwhile, Getafe have had a mixed bag of La Liga 2025 results recently, losing three of their last four. As a result, Jose Bordalas’ side has dropped to eighth in the table with 20 points. 

This is a huge midfield battle, with Real Betis and Athletic Bilbao watching closely, so check out today’s SBOTOP preview.

 

Talking Points

Getafe have a discipline problem

Getafe were left stuck at 20 points, following last weekend’s loss to Villarreal, as their inability to find the back of the net haunted them. Jose Bordalas’ men couldn’t get anything going, having only 39-per cent possession and five shots throughout the contest.

Tajon Buchanan gave the Yellow Submarine the lead before halftime with his left-footed strike. Early in the second half, Luis Milla was sent off with a straight red card for his angry confrontation with Buchanan, and the Geta Azulones midfielder will serve his suspension against Espanyol. With Milla on the sidelines, Hugo Solozabal or Yvan Neyou could start in the middle alongside Mauro Arambarri, Kiko Femenia, and Mario Martin.

Georges Mikautadze netted Villarreal’s second after 64 minutes, after Juan Iglesias failed to track down Luiz Junior’s long ball. Mikautadze should’ve had a brace if Santi Comesana wasn’t offside in the 74th minute.

Overall, Getafe had more bookings than usual against Villarreal, which could be a concern for Bordalas. Other than Milla, Martin, Arambarri, Diego Rico, and Allan Nyom received yellow cards. Martin has the joint-second most yellow cards in the league with six as of this writing. 

 

Espanyol’s holdovers have stepped up

Espanyol are punching above their weight, which is impressive considering they lost several key players during the summer transfer window. Joan Garcia was their biggest departure, as Los Periquitos sold him to Barcelona for around €25 million.

During their three-game winning streak, Manolo Gonzalez’s side has been virtually impenetrable on the defencive end, having conceded only one goal while scoring four on the other end. Marko Dmitrovic has seized the opportunity to fill the void left by Garcia, and the 33-year-old goalkeeper is among Spain’s most productive shot-stoppers with 49 saves across 15 matches, good for fifth in the league.

Meanwhile, Pere Milla, Roberto Fernandez, and Enrique Garcia have shouldered the scoring load for Espanyol, accounting for 12 of their 19 goals so far this term. Edu Exposito is the team’s top playmaker with four assists. 

 

History

Getafe and Espanyol have met 41 times before Saturday, with the latter recording 16 wins and the former 15 wins and 10 draws. Last season, Getafe finished 13th, and Espanyol finished 14th, both with 42 points.

These two teams split their league encounters last term, with Geta Azulones winning 1-0 in December 2024 at the Coliseum Stadium, with Alvaro Rodriguez scoring an early goal. Espanyol got their revenge last April, winning 1-0 at the RCDE Stadium, with Marash Kumbulla on the scoresheet during the 39th minute.

The 2025-26 campaign is Espanyol’s second consecutive season in the Spanish top-flight after securing their promotion in 2024, where they finished fourth in the Segunda Division, following their 2-1 aggregate win over Oviedo in the promotion play-offs.

 

Betting Tip

The La Liga 2025 odds favour a close match between Getafe and Espanyol this weekend. Because they’re at home, Getafe have the slight edge at 2.53, while Espanyol aren’t far behind at 2.88, and a draw is at 2.78 in the 1X2 market. Despite their gap in the Spanish top-flight standings, choosing the winner of this contest is a tough call. And because their recent encounters have been low-scoring, goals could be limited this Saturday. 

Besides our recommended bet, bettors may also consider adding Under 1.75 at 2.05, Under 1.50 at 2.35, and even Total Goal 0-1 at 2.33 to the parlay. Moreover, a Correct Score of 1-0 in favour of Espanyol – the result of their last league meeting – will offer a decent payday of 6.30.

   

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