Getafe face Universitatea Craiova in the Conference League opener on 15 October
Getafe begin their Conference League league phase away to Universitatea Craiova on 15 October. Pre-match reports cite injuries, a thin squad and a Craiova side on a five-match winning run.
Getafe's first European match in six years
Getafe open their Conference League league phase on 15 October with a visit to Universitatea Craiova, scheduled for 19:45 at the Ion Oblemenco stadium. It is the club's official return to European competition after six years, and it takes over from Villarreal, Real Betis and Rayo Vallecano in the third European club competition, a tournament Spanish football has yet to win. Real Betis and Rayo Vallecano lost the last two finals they reached, against Chelsea and Crystal Palace of the Premier League. Getafe's group also includes Ajax, Brighton, Lugano, Iberia Tbilisi and Inter Escaldes, and the stated aim is a top-eight finish, which would send the club directly into the round of 16.
A shaky start in LaLiga
Getafe arrive with an uneven season, and the sources give different records. Europa Press counts three wins from ten matches, covering eight LaLiga games and two European playoff ties, with eight goals scored. El Mundo, looking only at LaLiga, counts two wins, two draws and four defeats in eight matches, with four goals scored and ten conceded, and says the club sits two points above the relegation zone. According to Europa Press, Getafe have taken no points from their five away games so far this season. Their latest match was a 3-0 defeat at Barcelona, who lead LaLiga with 24 points, while Adevarul places Getafe 14th with eight points.
Injuries, rotation and Dani Carvajal
Getafe will be without Enes Ünal, Iván Azón and Zaid Romero, according to Europa Press, and El Mundo adds Juanmi Jiménez and Orel Mangala to the injury list. Bordalás must decide how many likely starters to rest, since his squad is considered short and three competitions make for a heavy load. The newly signed Dani Carvajal, a veteran right-back on a one-year deal below one million euros, is not registered for the European competition, so his debut could come in the next league game against Rayo Vallecano. Adevarul values Getafe's 24-man squad at 98.90 million euros according to Transfermarkt data, with five of the players on international duty, which makes Getafe favourites on paper.
Craiova's form and team news
Universitatea Craiova come into the match on a strong run. Libertatea reports five straight official wins plus a friendly, with one goal conceded and 17 scored across those six games. El Mundo describes four consecutive wins and second place in the Romanian Superliga, while Adevarul places them third on 23 points after a 1-0 win at Csikszereda, so the table position differs by source. Their route into the group ran through Champions League qualifying, where they beat Vitebsk and then lost to Levski Sofia in round two, and through Europa League qualifying, where they beat Kups Kuopio before losing to Ararat-Armenia. Portuguese coach Filipe Coelho must replace the suspended Carlos Mora, with Samuel Teles a candidate despite a minor knock, and is weighing David Matei and Alexandru Cicâldău for the right attacking role. El Mundo names Stefan Baiaram and Assad Al-Hamlawi as the main goal threats.
Referee, broadcast and fixtures
Slovenian referee David Smajc has been appointed, with assistants Manuel Vidali and David Gabrovec. Digi Sport 1 and Prima Sport 1 carry the match live, and the two channels share the European rights, so Champions League, Europa League and Conference League matches appear on both. Craiova's remaining group fixtures are an away trip to Inter Escaldes on 22 October, a home game against KF Egnatia on 5 November, an away trip to Brighton on 26 November, an away trip to Kairat Almaty on 10 December and a home game against FC Copenhagen on 17 December. Around 25,000 fans are expected at Ion Oblemenco for the opener.
- Universitatea Craiova vs Getafe, kick-off 19:45
- Inter Escaldes vs Universitatea Craiova, kick-off 19:45
- Universitatea Craiova vs KF Egnatia, kick-off 22:00
- Brighton & Hove Albion vs Universitatea Craiova, kick-off 19:45
- Kairat Almaty vs Universitatea Craiova, kick-off 17:30
- Universitatea Craiova vs FC Copenhagen, kick-off 22:00
