Getafe began the 2026-27 season with a 3-0 defeat at Mendizorroza. The side held out without conceding until the 73rd minute, despite playing a man down from the first half, and fell apart in the closing quarter of an hour, when Deportivo Alavés wrapped up the win with two goals in the final minutes.

The match turned close to the 40th minute. Kiko Femenía, who started as right wing-back in the 3-5-2 set up by Bordalás, went in on Abde Rebbach in a challenge and conceded a foul. The home forward was left lying on the turf and play remained stopped while he received treatment. After a VAR review, referee Manuel Jesús Orellana Cid showed the Getafe full-back a straight red card before half-time, leaving the visitors with ten men.

Until then the game had been even and short of chances. Five minutes in, Satriano controlled the ball inside the box and set himself for a volley, but Tenaglia adjusted in time to block the shot. Toni Martínez replied with a volley over the bar. Already a man short, Getafe reached the break without conceding and even tested Sivera with a low drive from Satriano on the edge of the area.

Bordalás brought on Enes Ünal for Davinchi in the second half, marking his return to competitive action in a Getafe shirt, but Alavés began to find space. David Soria kept his side in it with saves from Rebbach and Ángel Pérez and, in the 55th minute, pushed a first-time effort from Denis Suárez round the post.

The game was settled by the home substitutions, Mariano and Mikel Rodríguez. In the 73rd minute, after another Soria save from a Mariano header, Tenaglia nicked the ball in the opposition half, played it out to Mariano and carried on his run into the box to head home the cross from the left. Soria got a touch on the ball but could not keep out the opener.

Getafe pushed for an equaliser and left gaps at the back. Ünal went close with a header over the bar before Alavés put the result beyond doubt. In the 91st minute Mariano advanced down the left, saw his first shot deflected off Sazonov and, on regaining possession, curled a right-footed effort into the far top corner. Three minutes later he drove down the same flank again and squared for Mikel Rodríguez to make it 3-0.

Bordalás felt the scoreline was harsh on the balance of play. "It was very even and it was shaped by the sending-off," said the manager, who stressed how much it costs to play a man down on the opening matchday, "because you still haven't got the rhythm". He admitted he had not been able to see a replay of the Femenía incident, but did question the refereeing: "We are not treated the same way. The game starts and we are booked for the first foul, and the second one too."

Femenía will serve a suspension for the straight red card, pending the ruling of the disciplinary committee, and will miss the second matchday against Racing.

Getafe close an opening league fixture that leaves little room for regrets: on Thursday they face Partizan Belgrade in the final Conference League qualifying round. "Now we have to close the chapter and focus on the Conference," Bordalás said. "They are a side who are several matchdays into their own league, they have come through two rounds and it will not be easy."