Getafe return to continental football after a six-year absence with a demanding Conference League trip to Craiova, where Universitatea Craiova will look to make full use of the Ion Oblemenco Stadium. José Bordalás takes his side to Romania in need of a response after a 3-0 league defeat to Barcelona.
The Spanish club’s European comeback arrives during a crowded and uneasy stretch. Getafe have scored only four times in their first eight league matches while conceding 10, figures well below the defensive reliability usually associated with Bordalás teams.
Quick facts
- Getafe face Universitatea Craiova in Romania in their first European match for six years.
- Dani Carvajal has joined Getafe until the end of the season but cannot play in the Conference League.
- Only 16 first-team players and three reserve-registered players have travelled in the squad.
- Universitatea Craiova have lost just two of their past 15 official games and won seven of their last 12.
- Getafe meet Rayo Vallecano and Lugano after the Craiova fixture.
Carvajal’s arrival has given the week an added point of attention in Madrid. The former Real Madrid full-back was officially presented on Tuesday after negotiations and registration formalities were completed, signing through to the end of the campaign.
He is not eligible for Getafe’s Conference League campaign because he was not registered for the competition. The defender is working towards match fitness and could make his first appearance for the club against Rayo Vallecano next Monday.
Bordalás travels with limited options once again because of injuries. Orel Mangala, Enes Unal, Iván Azón and Zaid Romero have remained in Madrid despite being important members of the group when fit and available.
The shortage places greater responsibility on Borja Mayoral, who is expected to provide the attacking lift Getafe have lacked in the early weeks of the season. After Craiova, the schedule offers little recovery time, with three matches to be played in roughly seven days and Lugano following Rayo.
Craiova, meanwhile, approach the occasion in encouraging form. Their recent record has been steady across domestic and European commitments, and the Romanian side will seek to turn home support into an advantage against a visiting team still searching for fluency in front of goal.
